Google will cut off search access for students at schools that reject AI

Google has announced that students at schools rejecting AI will no longer be able to access its search engine, according to a statement released on Tuesday. The tech giant is responding to criticism from educators, child development experts, and parents over the use of Google's technology in schools, which intensified after the company turned on its Gemini chatbot for many K-12 students in August.

As a result, K-12 schools will now have the option to individually enable or disable each Google tool, including Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and search, which will be off by default until administrators activate them. However, schools that choose to turn off AI altogether will also lose access to Google search. Google's vice president and general manager of education, Chris Phillips, emphasized the importance of giving schools control over AI in the classroom.

The company is also updating its search tools to make them more suitable for learning, such as offering step-by-step guided learning through problems to prevent students from obtaining quick answers. Despite these changes, Google remains the leading provider of education technology for U.S. schools, with over 150 million students and teachers utilizing its Google Classroom platform and Chromebook computers.

The announcement has received criticism from some, including Lina Khan, former chair of the Federal Trade Commission, who accused Google of using its search monopoly to coerce schools into adopting AI.