Google announced on Tuesday that it will disable its AI tools for K-12 students next year unless school administrators explicitly enable them.
The tech giant says the move follows consultations with schools, teachers, leading researchers, and policymakers. Google is revising its approach across Gemini, NotebookLM, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search.
Any school choosing to restrict AI will lose access to Google Search, as AI features are now integrated into the engine.
Chris Phillips, vice president for education at Google, told The New York Times that Search and AI are deeply integrated. If a school chooses to restrict AI, students will not have access to search and will see a message from their school indicating it is not available.
This creates a problem for schools. Although teachers may not want students to use AI Overviews in Google Search to conduct research or complete assignments, they likely still want them to access the search engine to find sources and other learning materials.
Google Search and its AI features are now inseparable. Given the dominance of Google’s suite of apps in classrooms and the widespread use of Chromebooks, the decision highlights the company’s influence over the education sector. Schools that want to continue having access to Google Search will have to accept its AI features.
“We’ll share more specifics with schools in the coming months ahead of the changes rolling out so they have time to prepare and enable a smooth transition,” Phillips wrote in a blog post. “Our goal is simple: provide school leaders the control and confidence to use AI products in classrooms as they see fit.”
Google announced the upcoming change alongside the launch of Guided Learning in schools. The tool, which was unveiled earlier this year, functions like an AI tutor as it is designed to help users build a deep understanding instead of just getting answers. The launch comes amid concerns that AI chatbots undermine the learning process because they spit out direct answers.
What it means
For educators, the choice is binary. Schools wanting to ban AI tools must also ban Google Search. Those wishing to keep the search engine open must allow AI features. There is no middle ground.
