Google will switch off Search for schools that opt out of its AI tools

Google says it will turn off Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search for K-12 student accounts unless school administrators explicitly enable them. The company announced the change Tuesday in an education update and confirmed details to The New York Times. TechCrunch reports the change applies next year, and Ars Technica says it will roll out in the coming months.

The catch is that the tools cannot be separated. Administrators will not be able to turn off Gemini-powered features while keeping Search. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president of education, told the Times that schools that disable the AI features 'will not have access to Search, and they'll see a message from their school that indicates it's not available.'

Google presents the change as a matter of control, saying it will 'give schools more choice, not less.' It says schools can turn each service on or off individually. It also says the policy follows consultations with schools, teachers, researchers and policymakers.

Alongside the policy, Google is trying to address worries that students use AI to find shortcuts. It is putting its Guided Learning feature, designed to help students work through problems rather than get answers, into AI Overviews in Search. Testing in select US schools begins this month. Ars Technica notes that Google says all its generative AI products can make mistakes.

The change comes months after Google turned Gemini on by default in Classroom, which is used by more than 150 million people globally. That default drew skepticism amid reports of declining test scores and effects on learning, and lawmakers pressed Google last month on potential harms. Moving to off-by-default answers part of that criticism, but bundling Search with the AI tools limits what opting out means.

Critics were quick to respond. Sen. Bernie Sanders called it 'extortion,' NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said no corporation should have the power to dictate how children are taught, and California official Rohit Chopra wrote that Big Tech should not be able to 'strong-arm schools.'

TechCrunch and Ars Technica both point to Google's weight in classrooms, where its apps and Chromebooks are widespread. Teachers may not want students relying on AI Overviews but still need a search engine for sources. Ars Technica says Google could have built an AI-free school version of Search and chose not to, and suggests the company is betting schools will not give up Search. Alternatives such as DuckDuckGo, which lets users disable AI features, exist, though switching has its own costs.

Google has not yet said exactly when the changes take effect. It says it will share specifics with schools in the coming months so they can prepare, so the precise timing and administrator controls are the first things to watch.

Also open is whether the political criticism turns into formal action, and whether any school systems choose to drop Search rather than enable AI. Google did not immediately respond to The Verge's request for comment on the criticism, though it later added responses to the story.