Google will cut off search access for students at schools that reject AI

Students using Google software in the classroom will not be allowed to access the company’s search engine unless their school system also opts in to using artificial intelligence, the tech giant said Tuesday.The Mountain View, California, company has been facing pushback from educators, child development experts and parents over the use of its technology in schools, with the backlash heating up since it announced in August that it had turned on its Gemini chatbot for many K-12 students who use Google Classroom.On Tuesday, the company said that practice would no longer be the default option for school administrators.Instead, K-12 schools will be able to individually turn each Google tool on or off — including Gemini, Gemini Notebook and search, with each being off by default until administrators turn it on.But because search is integrated with AI, schools that opt out of AI altogether would also lose access to Google search.“We believe schools should have control over AI in their classrooms and in providing administrators with controls to help them manage their approach,” Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president and general manager of education, said in a blog post.The company also said it is updating its search tools to make them “better for learning,” including offering step-by-step guided learning through problems, so that students don’t get quick answers to schoolwork.”But turning off AI altogether is not possible if schools want to use Google products.Google is by far the dominant provider of education technology for US schools.Worldwide, the company says 150 million students and teachers use its Google Classroom platform, and many students use school-provided Chromebook computers.Google faced an outcry in August when it switched on its Gemini chatbot for many K-12 students.Until August, Google had only allowed Gemini to be turned on for students 18 or older.

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