NEW YORK — Google said Tuesday it will switch off its artificial intelligence tools and Google Search for K-12 student accounts unless school administrators turn them on, CBS News reported.
The change covers Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Classroom, along with search. Schools can choose to enable one, two or all three services, Google said.
“We believe schools should have control over AI in their classrooms,” Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president and general manager of education, wrote in a blog post.
Phillips told The New York Times that schools that ban AI “will not have access to search,” according to CBS News.
The move drew quick criticism. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused Google of “trying to use its monopoly power to force AI into our public schools.” In September, New York City schools banned AI for students until high school.
Lina Khan, who chaired the Federal Trade Commission from 2021 to 2025, said in a post on X that the move “highlights the danger of allowing an unregulated monopolist to control an essential service.”
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, accused Google of putting business ahead of education. Josh Golin of the children’s advocacy group Fairplay said the effort is “likely to backfire.” A Google spokesperson declined to respond to Mamdani’s remarks.
About 150 million students and teachers use Google Classroom, according to Google. The company drew backlash in August when it turned on its Gemini chatbot for many K-12 students, CBS News reported.
Sources: CBS News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
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