Google Makes School AI and Search Opt-In

Google plans to make its artificial-intelligence tools and Search unavailable by default to K-12 student accounts unless school administrators enable them, a policy that means schools opting out of AI will also lose access to Google Search. The changes cover Gemini, NotebookLM, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search. Google said it will provide schools with more details in the coming months so administrators can prepare for the rollout, which reports place in early 2027 or early next year. Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president for education, said AI features are integrated into Search. Schools that choose to turn off AI therefore cannot keep student access to Search, he said. Students at those schools will see a message indicating that Search is unavailable. Google is also introducing Guided Learning, a school-focused experience designed to lead students through problems rather than simply provide answers. The company says the feature will be available in Google Search and Classroom. For signed-in student accounts, Guided Learning is planned to replace AI Overviews, which display AI-generated summaries in Search. Google said Guided Learning became available globally in Google...