Google is entirely disabling Search in schools that don’t want AI

Google is disabling its Search feature in schools that choose not to utilize its AI capabilities, according to The New York Times. This decision was disclosed alongside an education-related update, stating that access to Google services such as Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Search will be entirely unavailable for K-12 student accounts unless administrators explicitly enable them.

However, administrators cannot disable Gemini-powered features without turning off Search as well. The integration between Search and AI is described as "deep" by Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president of education. Schools disabling AI features will lose access to Search and will see a message indicating its unavailability. The move follows Google's default activation of its Gemini AI assistant in the Google Classroom app, which serves over 150 million teachers and students worldwide.

This announcement comes amid concerns about the potential negative impact of AI on students' learning and test scores. Lawmakers have previously raised questions about the "potential harms" of integrating AI products in schools. While Google is not defaulting to AI features in schools, the company is trying to address concerns about students relying on AI for quick answers instead of solving problems independently.

Google is rolling out its Guided Learning feature, intended to guide students through problem-solving, within AI Overviews in Search. Testing of this feature is set to begin in select US schools this month.