Google cuts off school search access if AI tools remain disabled
The company says it wants administrators to manage AI, but critics argue the move forces public schools to accept generative features to keep basic search working.
By Adriana Abebe ·
Google announced on Tuesday that it will disable artificial intelligence features in its educational applications for K-12 student accounts unless school administrators actively switch them on. The change ties the availability of core search functions to the adoption of the company's newer AI capabilities.
The policy creates a direct link between two separate products. According to The New York Times, if a school decides not to enable AI tools such as Google Classroom or Notebook for its students, the institution will lose access to Google's search engine. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president for Education, explained that AI is now deeply integrated into the search platform. He stated that schools banning AI will see a message indicating the search is unavailable to their students.
Google defended the decision in a blog post, asserting that schools should retain control over how AI is used in classrooms. The company said it surveyed administrators and teachers to design these controls. The goal, according to the post, is to help administrators manage their specific approach to AI in educational settings.
Critics argue the move leverages market dominance to push specific technology onto public institutions. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted on social media that Google is using its monopoly power to force AI into public schools. He argued that no corporation should dictate how children are taught, noting that public schools exist to serve students rather than expand Big Tech profit margins.
New York City schools banned generative AI in September for students in 2-K through eighth grade. This one-year delay affects nearly 600,000 students, which represents two-thirds of the system's total enrollment. The ban covers all software that uses student-facing generative AI, including companion chatbots, according to local education officials.
Lina Khan, who served as chair of the Federal Trade Commission from 2021 to 2025, criticized the strategy in a statement on X. She described the move as an attempt to exploit Google's dominance in internet search. Khan, who currently chairs the board of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, noted that multiple courts have found Google liable for antitrust violations. She said the latest action shows the company remains unchastened as it punishes schools that do not align with its AI rollout.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS News regarding the specific mechanics of the search cutoff.
