Google will let schools disable its AI tools, but not without sacrificing Search

Google says it will turn off its AI tools for school students next year unless a school asks for them. The change covers Gemini, NotebookLM, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search. Schools that block AI completely will lose Search too. AI answers now appear at the top of Google results, so the two cannot be split apart. Students would see a message saying their school turned it off. Google's education chief, Chris Phillips, told the New York Times that search and AI are now deeply joined. More details will go to schools in the coming months.

Schools around the world have been arguing about AI since chatbots arrived. Some ban them over cheating, while others teach students to use them with care. Google is deep in classrooms. Many schools use Chromebooks, Google Docs and Classroom every day, so its choices reach millions of students. Google says it spoke to teachers, researchers and policymakers before deciding. The catch worries some teachers, who want pupils to search without AI answers doing the work.

Schools must now choose between AI tools and plain search. That affects how millions of students study and do homework.