Education

Schools That Want Google Search Will Have To Let Kids Use Its AI Too

Grendelkhan/Wikimedia Commons

The world’s most popular search engine will be disabled at schools that choose to block its artificial intelligence tools.

K-12 schools will no longer be able to use Google Search early next year if they elect to eliminate the company’s AI tools from classrooms, the New York Times reported Tuesday. As Google products have a monopoly on the American classroom, the company may pressure schools to adopt its AI so students do not lose access to Google Search.

“Google’s decision to cut off search for schools that don’t opt into its AI feature is likely to backfire, Nicole Runyon, a former child psychotherapist and parent coach, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “They are playing a game of chicken that I don’t think they will win.”

Google’s AI features are part of its search engine, so students will lose access to both if schools ban the company’s AI over concerns about false information generation and cheating, the NYT reported.

“Search and A.I. are deeply integrated,” Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president for education told the New York Times. “[Students] will not have access to search, and they’ll see a message from their school that indicates it’s not available.”

The big tech company made Gemini AI features available by default for Classroom, its K-12 education app, on Aug. 10, according to the company’s Workspace Updates blog.

Google announced Guided Learning, a student version of Google’s Gemini model that walks a user through problems step by step rather than immediately generating an answer, according to the company’s Tuesday announcement. Google Search and Gemini will both now be disabled by default until schools enable them.

Google did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Runyon told the DCNF that Google is underestimating parents and educators’ ability to adapt.

“Schools don’t have to rely on Google for searches,” Runyon told the DCNF. “Google is doubling down because they think schools are dependent on its products, and I don’t think schools will continue to use its products if they are forced to use AI.”

Runyon suggested Google’s move could push schools to use more pencil and paper.

“Like Icarus, it sounds like Google is flying too close to the sun,” Runyon added.