Google to Disable Search in Schools Rejecting Its AI Tools
Google says K-12 schools that turn off its AI features will lose Google Search too, since administrators cannot disable Gemini without also losing search.
What you need to know
Google told schools that K-12 student accounts will lose access to Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search unless administrators explicitly enable them, according to announcements shared with The New York Times and TechCrunch. Schools cannot disable the AI features while keeping Search, because Google says the two are deeply integrated.
- Access to Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search will be entirely off for K-12 student accounts unless administrators explicitly enable them
- Administrators cannot toggle Gemini-powered features off while keeping Search available
- Google's education vice president said Search and AI are deeply integrated
- Google said it will share specifics with schools before the changes roll out
What Google announced
Google said access to Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search will be entirely off for K-12 student accounts unless administrators explicitly turn them on. The company described the change as part of a broader education update on Tuesday.
Google said the decision followed consultations with schools, teachers, researchers and policymakers. It also said it will share more specifics with schools in the coming months ahead of the changes so they have time to prepare.
Search and AI treated as inseparable
Schools that restrict AI altogether will lose Google Search as well. Google's vice president of education, Chris Phillips, told The New York Times that search and AI are deeply integrated, and said students in those schools will see a message from their school indicating search is not available.
The arrangement leaves schools with a choice: accept Google's AI features to keep Search, or block AI and give up the search engine. TechCrunch noted that teachers may still want students to search for sources and learning materials even if they do not want AI Overviews used for assignments.
Google announced the change alongside the launch of Guided Learning in schools. The company said the tool is designed to help users build understanding instead of just getting answers.
Earlier default and pushback
The announcement comes months after Google turned on its Gemini AI assistant by default inside the Google Classroom app, which Google says is used by more than 150 million teachers and students globally. The Verge reported that the move added to skepticism about AI in schools, and that lawmakers last month pressed Google on potential harms of putting its AI products in schools.
Can schools keep Google Search without enabling Google's AI features?
No. Google said Search and AI are deeply integrated, so administrators cannot toggle Gemini-powered features off while keeping Search. Schools that restrict the AI features will lose Google Search for their K-12 student accounts.
Sources & context
- Google is entirely disabling Search in schools that don’t want AI ↗The Verge
- Google will let schools disable its AI tools, but not without sacrificing Search ↗TechCrunch
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