Google Says Schools That Reject Its AI Will Lose Search Too

Google announced on Tuesday that four of its products will be off by default for K-12 student accounts until a school administrator turns them on. The four are Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search.

The change reverses a move from August, when Google switched Gemini on by default for many students using Google Classroom. That switch caught some districts off guard and drew complaints from parents and teachers.

Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager of education, wrote in the announcement that the company made the change after listening to schools, teachers, researchers and policymakers. Schools asked for more control, he wrote.

The catch

The control has a limit. Search itself contains AI features, and Google has not offered a version of Search with those features removed. A school that wants no AI at all will therefore lose Search on its student accounts as well.

Phillips told The New York Times that "search and A.I. are deeply integrated." He said students at a school that declines the AI features will not have access to Search, and will see a message from their school saying it is not available.

That distinction matters. Google clarified on Tuesday afternoon that schools can switch Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Search on individually. A school does not have to turn on the Gemini chatbot to keep Search. But keeping Search means accepting the AI built into it.

Two kinds of Search

For schools that do opt in, Google plans two Search options in early 2027. One is standard Search, with AI Overviews and other AI features. The other is Guided Learning, which walks students through a problem step by step instead of handing over the answer.

Guided Learning in Classroom became available worldwide on Tuesday. A Guided Learning pilot in Search starts at selected schools in the United States later in November. Google said it will share more details with schools in the coming months before the changes roll out.

The changes apply to school-managed K-12 student accounts in Google Workspace for Education. They do not apply to teachers.

The reaction

The backlash was fast. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont wrote on X that Google was threatening schools: "if you stop your students from using AI, we will cut off your access to Google Search." He called the move "extortion."

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who announced a New York City public schools AI ban this year, accused Google of trying to "force" AI into schools. A number of districts, including New York City and Los Angeles, banned generative AI tools for many or all students this school year.

Google answered on X that the announcement gives schools "more choice, not less." The company said schools are in control and can choose to turn on one, two or all of the services individually.

The dispute now sits with administrators. They can keep AI out of their classrooms. The price, on Google's own terms, is giving up the search engine their students use for ordinary schoolwork.