Google to disable default AI access for K-12 students
The company will turn off Gemini and other AI tools for school accounts unless administrators explicitly enable them.
Google will disable access to its default artificial intelligence tools for K-12 schoolchildren, according to a report by ThePrint. The company stated it is making updates to products used in schools, including building Guided Learning capabilities into Google Search and Google Classroom.
Access to Gemini, NotebookLM, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search will be turned off by default for student accounts. School administrators will need to explicitly enable these features. Google told AFP that these new controls will be rolled out worldwide, starting in the United States.
The decision follows criticism regarding the company's push for AI in schools. In August, Google made its Gemini chatbot available to students of all ages through Google Classroom. In October, US senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley questioned why AI features were made the default on school devices.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote on X that Google is trying to use monopoly power to force AI into public schools. Google said in a statement on X that the changes address feedback from educators and give schools more choice.
Google vice-president for education Chris Phillips told The New York Times that Search and AI are deeply integrated. He said if a school bans AI, students will not have access to search and will see a message from their school indicating it is unavailable.
A specific date for the rollout has not been announced.
