Google Makes School AI Opt-In After Criticism Over Classroom Defaults

Google will switch off its artificial-intelligence tools for schoolchildren by default, requiring K-12 administrators to opt in before Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Search are available to student accounts. The decision follows criticism that the company pushed AI features at students while schools were still debating how the technology should be used in classrooms. The dispute turns on who controls the deployment of AI products in schools: Google's education apps, including Gmail, Docs and Classroom, are used in classrooms across the United States, and its low-cost Chromebooks are the devices US schools most often issue to students.

The change was announced in a blog post on Tuesday. Google told AFP the new controls would be rolled out worldwide, beginning in the United States, but that it had not yet set a date. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president for education, told The New York Times that "Search and A.I. are deeply integrated," and that where a school bans AI, students "will not have access to search, and they'll see a message from their school that indicates it's not available." Google later said on X that schools could disable the Gemini apps while leaving search active, and that those wanting no AI at all could leave everything off. A Google spokesperson told Ars Technica the company had made no changes to the policy it announced this week; Ars noted that the vagueness of the blog post and public statements had not fully explained what Google plans to do.

The reaction ranged from political criticism to district-level caution. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused Google on X of "trying to use its monopoly power to force AI into our public schools," writing that "no corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children." Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley had written to the company last month asking why AI features were made the default on school devices; their letter cites more than 150 million students worldwide using Google Classroom. In August, Google had opened its Gemini chatbot in Classroom to students of all ages, showing starter prompts tied to specific classes and assignments, with the feature switched on by default for students at schools that had already enabled Gemini. New York and Los Angeles both announced plans in September to restrict access to AI tools on school devices.

Los Angeles Unified School District said it was "reviewing Google's announcement and its potential implications for schools, educators and students," with a spokesperson saying the district believes AI can improve teaching and learning if introduced carefully and with clear safeguards, and pointing to principles requiring technology to support rather than replace teachers and protect student privacy. New York City Public Schools said it was seeking more details, adding that the Gemini chatbot and AI mode were already disabled on Chromebooks used by its students and that it had asked Google to disable the AI Overview displayed in search results. Google said on X that the changes give "schools more choice, not less," citing concern about students using AI to shortcut schoolwork and schools' wish for control. The next marker is the rollout timetable: Google has set no date for the controls, which begin in the United States before going worldwide.