Google will cut off Google Search for K-12 schools that choose to block its AI tools, the company confirmed this week. The change means schools that reject AI altogether lose access to the world's most-used search engine, because Google's AI features are now woven directly into Search.
The policy was announced Tuesday alongside new controls for Gemini, NotebookLM, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search. Under the new approach, AI tools will be off by default for K-12 student accounts until school administrators explicitly enable them. Google says the decision followed consultations with schools, teachers, researchers and policymakers.
Google Search and AI are now inseparable
Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager for education, told The New York Times that "Search and AI are deeply integrated." If a school restricts AI entirely, he said, students "will not have access to search, and they'll see a message from their school that indicates it's not available."
The affected products are Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search. Google told Engadget that administrators can enable these products individually, and that the setup is not all-or-nothing. But because AI Overviews and the conversational AI Mode now sit inside Search itself, blocking the AI layer effectively blocks the search engine for students.
- AI tools off by default for K-12 student accounts
- Affected products: Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, Google Search
- Schools that block AI lose Google Search access entirely
