Google will let schools disable its AI tools, but not without sacrificing Search

Google announced on Tuesday that it plans to disable AI tools for K-12 students next year unless school administrators explicitly turn them on. The tech giant says the change follows consultations with schools, teachers, leading researchers, and policymakers. As a result, Google is revising its approach across Gemini, NotebookLM, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search.

The decision means that schools choosing to restrict AI altogether will no longer be able to access Google Search, as AI features are now integrated into the search engine.

Chris Phillips, vice president for education at Google, told The New York Times that “Search and AI are deeply integrated,” which means that if a school chooses to restrict AI altogether, students “will not have access to search, and they’ll see a message from their school that indicates it’s not available.”

The change raises an issue 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 be able to have access to the search engine to find sources and other learning materials.

However, 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 underscores the company’s influence over the education sector. Schools that want to continue to have 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, sort of functions like an AI tutor, as it’s 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.

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Aisha is a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch. Prior to joining the publication in 2021, she was a telecom reporter at MobileSyrup. Aisha holds an honours bachelor’s degree from University of Toronto and a master’s degree in journalism from Western University.

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