Artificial Intelligence1 min read

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

By · Via The Verge · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Google will cut off its primary search platform alongside Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Gemini in Classroom for school districts that refuse its artificial intelligence features. The tech giant maintains that the two technologies are too deeply integrated to separate, prompting a standard unavailable notice for students whose administrators opt out. To mitigate worries over student reliance on automated shortcuts, the company is preparing a Guided Learning tool embedded in search overviews. Initial testing for this educational guidance feature is slated to begin this month in selected American schools.

Key points

  • Districts seeking to shield classrooms from artificial intelligence tools must forfeit st…: Districts seeking to shield classrooms from artificial intelligence tools must forfeit standard Google Search capabilities entirely.
  • Company executives maintain that search functionality and artificial intelligence systems…: Company executives maintain that search functionality and artificial intelligence systems are too tightly entwined to operate independently.
  • A new Guided Learning feature within search overviews aims to assist students with proble…: A new Guided Learning feature within search overviews aims to assist students with problem-solving rather than providing direct answers.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Google is completely turning off Search in schools that reject its AI features, the company told The New York Times. The decision was also shared in a broader education-related update from Google on Tuesday, saying that 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.”

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

Students in schools that reject Google’s AI will see notices that Search isn’t available.

Students in schools that reject Google’s AI will see notices that Search isn’t available.

Administrators will not be given the option to toggle Gemini-powered features off without disabling Search, however. Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president of education, told the NYT, “Search and AI are deeply integrated,” adding that schools that disable Google’s AI features “will not have access to search, and they’ll see a message from their school that indicates it’s not available.” Google didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.

The announcement comes just months after Google turned its Gemini AI…

Artificial Intelligence