Google switches off AI tools for school students by default
Google says Gemini and AI-linked Search will be off by default for K-12 student accounts until school administrators turn them on. The move follows criticism over pushing AI to students.
- Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Search will be off by default for K-12 accounts
- Schools must switch the tools on; rollout is worldwide, starting in the US, with no date set
- New York's mayor and two US senators had criticised Google's approach
Google has said it will switch off its AI tools for schoolchildren by default, after criticism that it was pushing artificial intelligence features to students while schools were still debating how the technology should be used in classrooms.
In a blog post on Tuesday, Google said Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Search will be turned off for K-12 student accounts until school administrators switch them on. Google told AFP the controls would be rolled out worldwide, beginning in the United States, but has not set a date.
Under the changes, schools will not be able to give students Google Search without its AI features. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president for education, said that if a school bans AI, students will not have access to search and will see a message from their school that it is not available. He said: "Search and AI are deeply integrated," according to Phys.org.
Google's education apps, including Gmail, Docs and Classroom, are used in classrooms across the United States, and its low-cost Chromebook laptops are the devices US schools most often issue to students. According to a letter from Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley sent to Google last month, more than 150 million students worldwide use Google Classroom. The letter asked why AI features had been made the default on school devices.
In August, Google opened its Gemini chatbot in Classroom to students of all ages. The feature was switched on by default for students at schools that had already enabled Gemini.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused Google on X of trying to use its monopoly power to force AI into public schools. He said: "No corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children."
Google said in a statement on X that the changes give schools more choice, not less. It said: "We know there's concern about students using AI to shortcut schoolwork, and schools have told us they want control."
New York and Los Angeles both announced plans in September to restrict access to AI tools on school devices. The Los Angeles Unified School District is reviewing Google's announcement. New York City Public Schools is seeking more details and has asked Google to disable AI Overview in search results for students. Gemini chatbot and AI mode are already disabled on Chromebooks used by its students.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 28 October that Google announced its Gemini 4 Carbon model, which it said ranks first on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index v5.0 with a score of 59.
Why it matters for Pakistan
Pakistani students and schools are also debating how AI tools should be used in classrooms. The Google decision shows one large technology provider handing schools the choice of whether students get AI features. Schools and parents in Pakistan that use Google's education products may follow how the controls are applied, though no date has been given for the worldwide rollout.
