Google will let schools turn off AI, but those that do will also lose Google Search

Google has announced new controls that let schools limit students' access to its artificial intelligence tools. According to CNN, the change comes with a significant trade-off: if a school decides to turn off AI completely, it will also lose access to Google Search.

The move could mark a significant shift in how students and teachers interact with one of the world's largest education technology providers. Google's Chromebook laptops are used by tens of millions of students, sometimes starting in kindergarten. The announcement comes as many communities are calling for stricter limits on screen time and AI use in classrooms, amid fears that the technology could harm students' learning and development or pose safety risks. According to CNN, several school districts, including those in New York and Los Angeles, have banned generative AI tools for many or all students this school year.

Google said Tuesday that its AI products, such as the Gemini assistant and Google Search, will be turned off by default on K-12 student accounts until school administrators explicitly turn them on. This reverses the company's decision in August to turn on Gemini by default in the Google Classroom app. However, if schools want to turn off AI entirely, they will also lose access to the search engine.

The company says the changes respond to requests from educators and lawmakers seeking more control over these tools. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president of education, told the New York Times that "search and AI are deeply integrated" and that schools that ban AI "will not have access to search" and will see a message from their school saying it is unavailable. In recent years Google has made AI a central part of its search engine, with "AI Overviews" summaries at the top of many results and an expanded search bar for longer queries.

Google's post does not detail exactly how these controls will work or what students would see if they tried to use the search engine at a school that has banned AI. Phillips wrote that the company will share more details with schools in the coming months, before the changes take effect, so they have time to prepare. In response to CNN's questions, Google pointed to a post on X stating that the policy gives schools "more choices, not fewer" and that they will be able to turn on Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Search individually. However, the post suggests schools will not be able to use Search without AI features, as it adds that "AI Mode and AI Overviews will offer step-by-step guided learning, so students don't get quick answers for their assignments."

The change is part of a broader announcement of updates to AI learning tools, built on the idea that the technology should help students work through problems rather than simply hand them the answers. Under this "guided learning" principle, Google explains that when its systems detect, for example, that a student is using Search to do homework, they will offer to walk through the problem step by step instead of providing a single answer. Other AI companies are taking a similar approach to convince educators and families that their products are valuable learning tools and that experience with AI in school is essential for the future workforce. In August OpenAI announced "ChatGPT for Teens," which, in addition to safety controls, focuses on learning and lets parents and teens turn on a "Study Mode." Many tech companies have also funded AI training for teachers.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who announced a ban on AI in the city's public schools this year, responded to Google's change by accusing the company of trying to "force" AI into classrooms. "No corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children," he wrote on X.