Google to Disable AI Tools and Search by Default for K-12 Students, Requiring Administrator Opt-In

Google announced a significant policy shift for K-12 education, making its AI tools (Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom) and Google Search opt-in for student accounts. This means these services will be off by default, and school administrators must explicitly enable them. Critically, schools that choose to ban AI will also lose access to Google Search for their students, a move that has drawn criticism from educators and child advocates. Google states the change provides schools with more control over AI usage in classrooms and aims to prevent students from using AI to shortcut schoolwork by offering guided learning features in AI Mode and AI Overviews in Search.