Google will switch off Search, Gemini and its other AI tools for K-12 student accounts by default from early 2027, so schools must opt in to use them. The announcement, made on 3 November 2026, triggered a political backlash within hours, and Google has since clarified what schools can and cannot turn off.
What Google announced
Google said that for student accounts in Google Workspace for Education, the suite many US schools use for email, documents and classwork, four tools will be off until administrators turn them on: Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Google Classroom and Google Search. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager of education, wrote in a blog post that schools should have control over AI in their classrooms. The change follows Google's August decision to switch Gemini on for many K-12 students in Classroom, after which it faced pushback from teachers, child-development experts and parents. In early September, New York City banned generative AI for students through eighth grade for this school year, and Los Angeles Unified switched it off on district-issued devices.
The backlash
The controversy centred on a New York Times report that schools rejecting Google's AI would lose Search entirely. Senator Bernie Sanders and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticised the company, according to CNBC. Child-safety advocates argued that AI undermines learning and that schools should turn Google's AI off as soon as they can.
Google's clarification
Google responded on X that Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Search are off by default and that schools can turn each one back on or leave it off. Reports say schools can therefore disable Gemini and its other stand-alone AI tools and still enable Search. The catch is that Google offers no setting to disable the AI features built into Search, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode. Phillips told the New York Times that Search and AI are deeply integrated. A school that wants Search for students therefore gets Google's AI inside it.
The two sides
- Google's case: The new default gives administrators more control, which is what many schools asked for, and Search is being updated to be better for learning.
- Critics' case: Google dominates education technology, so a choice between AI and basic web search is not a free choice. They argue Google should let schools use Search without its AI features, as schools can with other tools.
What it means for schools
Every school on Workspace for Education will need to make decisions it could previously ignore. In practice, administrators can keep AI chat tools off and still allow Search, but they will have to accept AI summaries in search results or find another search provider. Parents and teachers who want to know what their children will see should ask the school which of the four tools are enabled when the change arrives in early 2027.
Sources: CNBC; WRAL, citing the Associated Press; Quartz, citing Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal; Briefs; Crypto Briefing; Windows Report; Tech Insider.
