Google announced a new policy for its K-12 education software that turns off Google Search for students unless their school opts in to AI features, drawing sharp criticism from politicians and educators on Tuesday. Under the change, tools including Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Search itself are disabled by default for student accounts until school administrators explicitly enable them. Because Google says Search and AI are "deeply integrated," schools that keep AI turned off will see students lose access to Google Search entirely.
The announcement landed during a busy US Election Day, but that did not stop several figures from speaking out. Google executives positioned the move as a way to give schools more control over AI in classrooms, while critics described it as an abuse of Google's market dominance and a threat to how children learn.
Google's education AI settings
In a blog post, Google said it is "focused on building technology responsibly to help students thrive," positioning the changes as its latest step in tailoring AI tools for schools. The company is introducing a feature called Guided Learning across Gemini, Search, and Classroom, which it says helps students "work through problems without skipping straight to answers." If a student pastes a complex physics problem or asks for help writing a book report into Search, they will see prompts designed to encourage critical thinking instead of receiving an immediate answer.
Guided Learning in Search is launching as a pilot program in select US schools this month, while the version for Google Classroom is rolling out globally today. Google describes it as a "1-1 study tool, anchored in class material," which also gives teachers insight into how their class is handling the material.
- Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search are off by default for K-12 student accounts.
