Google will completely turn off Search for schools that decline its AI features, the company told The New York Times. The move was part of a broader education update shared on Tuesday, in which Google said access to Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search will be “entirely off” for K-12 student accounts unless administrators explicitly enable them.
According to the report, administrators are not given the option to disable Gemini-powered features while keeping Search active. Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president of education, told the NYT that “Search and AI are deeply integrated,” indicating that the two cannot be separated for these accounts.
Why it matters
Tying Search access to AI features removes a school’s ability to adopt one without the other, affecting how K-12 institutions manage the tools available to student accounts.
Who should care
School administrators and education IT decision-makers overseeing K-12 Google accounts should review how this policy affects student access to both Search and AI features.