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Google links Search and AI in schools, then clarifies activation choices
According to TechCrunch, Google makes school access to Search conditional on accepting AI features integrated into the engine. Responding to criticism, the company clarifies that Search, Gemini and Gemini Notebook can be enabled separately. This distinction leaves the question of educational control over AI in search unresolved.
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Can schools allow online search while rejecting its AI features? Google's announcement, followed by its clarifications on enabling its services separately, puts this question at the center of the debate. The information reported by TechCrunch distinguishes the choice of applications from control over the AI integrated into Search.
Access to Google Search is becoming a point of friction for schools seeking to manage the use of artificial intelligence. According to TechCrunch, Google announced on Tuesday that schools using its educational software would not be able to keep Search without accepting its AI tools. The company later clarified that Search, Gemini and Gemini Notebook would be disabled by default and could be enabled individually.
These explanations address different levels of control. The ability to allow Search separately from Gemini does not mean schools have access to search stripped of its AI features. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president of education, told The New York Times, according to remarks reported by TechCrunch, that search and AI were deeply integrated. Without the school's consent, students would see a message saying the service was unavailable.
The decision drew political criticism. Senators Bernie Sanders and Richard Blumenthal condemned the pressure on schools to adopt AI. Lina Khan, the former FTC chair, described the decision as anticompetitive. These reactions express positions on the announcement; they do not, on their own, establish a new violation of competition law.
The educational concerns include the answers generated within the search engine. TechCrunch reports that educators fear they could discourage students from seeking information independently. The outlet also notes that switching search engines is not necessarily a simple solution for students required to use Chromebooks and Google's educational tools.
Google says it is responding to schools' demand for control by disabling the services concerned by default. The company also says it is working on Guided Learning for student accounts in Search. The stated approach is to guide users through solving a problem or finding information, rather than providing an answer directly. The document does not allow an assessment of this approach's educational effectiveness.
The analysis points to a choice for schools whose parameters need to be distinguished: allowing a service, allowing an assistant and accepting AI integrated into search. Google's clarifications shed light on the first level. They do not demonstrate the existence of a setting that would let schools keep Search while disabling its AI answers.