NEWS · COMPANIES · #3027
Google to disable Search for K‑12 accounts that opt out of Gemini AI
Google told The New York Times it will entirely disable Google Search, along with access to Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Classroom, for K–12 student accounts unless school administrators explicitly enable those AI features. Administrators cannot turn off Gemini-powered features while keeping Search on, according to Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president of education.
KEY POINTS
- Google told The New York Times it will entirely disable Google Search, along with access to Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Classroom, for K–12 student accounts unless school administrators explicitly enable those AI features.
- Administrators cannot turn off Gemini-powered features while keeping Search on, according to Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president of education.
- Because Google is treating Search and its Gemini AI as inseparable, schools that reject AI could lose access to a core educational tool, affecting students, administrators and ongoing debates over AI in schools.
WHY IT MATTERS
Because Google is treating Search and its Gemini AI as inseparable, schools that reject AI could lose access to a core educational tool, affecting students, administrators and ongoing debates over AI in schools.