Google links school access to Search with approval of AI tools

Google is changing how schools using its education products manage access to AI, with affected services set to be disabled by default when the changes arrive in the coming months. According to Ars Technica, administrators will need to activate those services manually. Google developed the approach after consulting educators, researchers and lawmakers about AI use in K-12 classrooms.

The decision covers Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search. Ars Technica reports that schools will not be able to approve these products individually: enabling access means allowing the entire group, while keeping AI tools switched off also blocks Search. That makes the change more than a decision about whether students should have access to dedicated AI services. For administrators, the practical trade-off is whether to permit the bundled tools or forgo Search alongside them, rather than set separate access rules for each product.