Google Revises School AI Settings: K-12 Accounts Off by Default, Schools Rejecting AI Lose Search
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Google announced on Tuesday new AI settings for schools: from early 2027, Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search will be off by default for K-12 student accounts until school administrators explicitly turn them on. The change reverses Google's August move to turn on Gemini by default in its Classroom app, and responds to calls from educators and policymakers for more control over classroom AI.
The catch is the bundling: Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager of education, told The New York Times that "search and AI are deeply integrated," so schools that ban AI entirely will not have access to Search through school-managed accounts, and students will see a message from their school that the feature is unavailable. That is because AI Overviews — AI-generated summaries above conventional links — and AI Mode, a conversational search tab, are now part of the Search product. Schools that permit AI will choose between the standard Search experience and a Guided Learning version that guides students through problems step by step rather than giving quick answers; Guided Learning in Classroom went live globally on Tuesday, while the Search version will pilot in selected US schools later in November.
The change applies only to school-managed accounts, not students' personal accounts. It comes as several districts have restricted classroom generative AI this school year, including New York City and Los Angeles public schools, which have banned generative AI tools for many or all students. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded by accusing Google of trying to "force" AI into schools. Google said it will share more specifics with schools in the coming months ahead of the changes so they have time to prepare.
Source: Google
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 谷歌位于加利福尼亚州Mountain View的总部Googleplex。/ Google's Googleplex headquarters in Mountain View, California. 摄影：Asoundd，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons
