Google to Disable AI and Search Services by Default for K-12 Student Accounts Starting 2027, Linking Search Access to AI Opt-In

Google has announced a significant policy change for K-12 education users, stating that starting in 2027, AI features like Gemini and Google Search will be disabled by default for school-managed student accounts. School administrators will need to explicitly enable these services. Critically, if a school chooses to disable AI features, students will also lose access to traditional Google Search, a move that has drawn criticism from educators and policymakers. Google attributes this linkage to the deep integration of search and AI.