By Salma El-Sakka
Google announced Tuesday that it will turn off its AI products by default for K-12 student accounts using its education software, a move that also cuts off access to Google Search for schools that do not enable the Gemini AI suite.
Policy change details
Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager of education, said in a blog post that access to Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search will be entirely off for student accounts until school administrators explicitly turn them on. The change follows mounting criticism from advocacy groups and senators about the spread of Google's AI services in classrooms.
Criticism from advocates
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, called the decision unfortunate, saying Google prioritized business interests over children's education. Josh Golin, executive director of advocacy group Fairplay, accused Google of attempting to strong-arm schools into using its AI products and suggested schools seek privacy-protective search alternatives.
Background on Google's education dominance
Google has established a dominant role in education technology over the past 15 years, with the vast majority of Chromebook laptops purchased by school districts. Nearly two-thirds of assignments use a Google product, according to a 2023 report by Schoolytics. Earlier this year, Google activated Gemini in its Classroom app, allowing children to access AI products unless districts disabled it.
Research concerns and new search features
Research from the Stanford Graduate School of Education's SCALE Initiative indicates no high-quality causal studies demonstrate long-term benefits of AI for students. For schools that enable Google's AI products, the company said a redesigned Search will guide students through topics and concepts rather than providing direct answers.
