Google Is Holding Its Search Engine Hostage From Schools That Don’t Want AI

The debate over whether AI belongs in schools is heating up, and Google says it’s giving schools more control over the tech. But there’s a pretty big catch. Google announced Tuesday that it’s changing how schools manage access to its AI products, including Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search. Under the new policy, these products will be turned off by default for K-12 student accounts unless school administrators enable them. But that means schools that want to block Google’s AI features entirely will lose access to its search engine. “We believe schools should have control over AI in their classrooms and in providing administrators with controls to help them manage their approach,” Google Vice President and General Manager of Education Chris 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.” Phillips said Google will share more details with schools in the coming months before the changes roll out. The announcement comes amid growing concerns about AI in classrooms and its potential impact on students. Some studies have already found that using AI tools like ChatGPT could lead to worse test scores and impact students’ ability to learn and think critically. Google has also faced scrutiny from lawmakers over its push to bring AI into schools. Last month, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai requesting more information about the company’s promotion of AI tools in schools and any research it has conducted on potential harms to children. “We write with grave concern that Google’s aggressive push of A.I. products to children in schools is threatening the academic success and overall wellbeing of an entire generation,” the senators wrote. The nation’s two largest school districts, New York City and Los Angeles, also restricted student access to generative AI on school devices in September. As for why Google won’t let schools disable AI features without losing access to its search engine, Phillips told The New York Times that “Search and A.I. are deeply integrated.” He added that students at schools that choose to disable AI “will not have access to search, and they’ll see a message from their school that indicates it’s not available.” Google also announced Tuesday that it’s bringing a feature called Guided Learning to Google Search and Google Classroom. The feature is designed to help students work through problems step by step, rather than simply giving them the answers. “For example, if a student pastes a complex physics problem or asks for help writing a book report in Search, they’ll see prompts to help them think critically and work through the concepts, without going directly to the answer,” the company said in its blog post. Guided Learning is now available globally in Google Classroom, and Google plans to begin testing it in Search at select U.S. schools later this month before expanding to more districts. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.