Google to turn off AI tools for schoolchildren by default

Google said it will turn off its AI tools for K-12 student accounts by default, after criticism that artificial intelligence features were being pushed into schools while educators were still deciding how to use them.

Under changes announced by Google in a blog post on Tuesday, Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Search will be switched off for K-12 student accounts until school administrators turn them on. Google said the controls would be rolled out worldwide, beginning in the United States, but it has not set a date.

The change does not separate Google Search from its AI features. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president for education, told The New York Times that search and AI are now deeply integrated. He said students at schools that ban AI would not have access to search and would see a school message saying it was unavailable.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused Google on X of trying to use monopoly power to force AI into public schools. Google said on X that the changes give schools "more choice, not less" and said schools had asked for control because of concern that students could use AI to shortcut schoolwork.

Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley said in a letter to Google last month that more than 150 million students worldwide use Google Classroom. The senators 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 at schools that had already enabled Gemini. The feature offered prompts linked to classes and assignments, including study guides, practice quizzes and flashcards.

New York and Los Angeles announced plans in September to restrict access to AI tools on school devices. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Unified School District said the district was reviewing Google's announcement and believed AI could improve teaching and learning if introduced carefully with clear safeguards.