Google has announced plans to block students at schools that prohibit artificial intelligence (AI) tools from accessing its search engine, sparking criticism from education advocates.
The technology giant said on Tuesday, November 3, that Google Search and its AI-powered educational products will be switched off by default for students using school-managed K-12 accounts unless school administrators explicitly enable them.
The move comes as many communities have pushed for stricter limits on screen time and AI use in schools, amid growing fears that the technology could stunt students’ learning and development or pose safety risks.
Access to Google’s AI features — Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Classroom — as well as Google search will be automatically turned off for K-12 student accounts until “school administrators explicitly turn them on,” Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president and general manager of education, said in a blog post.
Schools that ban AI “will not have access to search, and they’ll see a message from their school that indicates it’s not available,” Phillips told The New York Times.
While Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Search will be turned off by default, schools can choose to turn on one, two or all three services, Google explained in a post on X Tuesday.
“We believe schools should have control over AI in their classrooms and in providing administrators with controls to help them manage their approach,” Phillips wrote in the post.
Google’s new policy immediately prompted criticism that it is seeking to pressure schools to use its AI apps. In a statement posted on social media, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused the tech giant of “trying to use its monopoly power to force AI into our public schools.”
“No corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children. Our public schools exist to serve students, not to grow the profit margins of Big Tech,” he added.