Google is giving schools more freedom to reject artificial intelligence—provided they are also willing to give up Google Search, the tool millions of students rely on for everyday research.

The company announced Tuesday that its AI products will be disabled by default for K-12 student accounts unless administrators explicitly enable them. But schools that want to ban AI entirely will also have to disable Google's search engine, because the company will not offer a traditional version of Search without AI features. Under the default-off configuration, AI tools will remain inactive unless a school affirmatively opts in.

Google's suite of education tools, including its search engine and productivity apps, is widely used in classrooms across the United States, which is why the announcement has drawn immediate attention from educators and policymakers.

Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager of education, defended the approach during a meeting with educators. “Search and AI are deeply integrated,” he said, according to Education Week. Schools uncomfortable with AI, he indicated, can choose not to enable Search at all.

Under the new controls, administrators will be able to activate or disable Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Search individually. That means schools can block standalone chatbots while keeping Search available, but they cannot remove AI from Search itself. For teachers who want students to research sources without receiving AI-generated answers, the company is effectively offering two options: accept its AI-powered search or find another search engine.

The announcement is already drawing accusations that Google is using its dominance in education to push a technology many schools are still trying to understand, regulate, or restrict. Google says the changes are intended to address concerns that AI chatbots can undermine learning by giving students ready-made answers instead of encouraging them to solve problems themselves.

Beginning in early 2027, schools that enable Search will be offered versions with conventional AI features, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode, or an education-focused Guided Learning experience, according to The New York Times. Neither option provides the traditional search experience without generative AI.

Politicians Accuse Google of Forcing AI Into Classrooms

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused the company of “trying to use its monopoly power to force AI into our public schools,” according to CBS News. Former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan was equally critical, accusing Google of using its search monopoly to coerce schools into adopting AI.

The criticism comes as some of America's largest school districts are actively restricting generative AI. New York City, for example, imposed a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI through eighth grade, covering nearly 600,000 students, while Los Angeles has also limited the technology. Los Angeles officials had specifically hoped to preserve Google Search while removing AI-generated summaries; under the newly announced controls, that will not be an option.

Google's position also arrives amid continuing antitrust scrutiny. A federal court ruled in 2024 that Google unlawfully monopolized the U.S. search market, and the company has faced separate legal challenges, including from publishers, over its decision to integrate AI summaries into search results.

School administrators are expected to receive the new controls in early 2027. They will be able to decide which AI products students can access, and even apply different settings by grade level. A Google Search option without AI, however, is not among the choices. In the run-up to that rollout, districts that restrict generative AI will have to weigh whether keeping Google Search is worth accepting its AI features, or whether to steer students toward alternative search tools.

Google detailed the education changes in an official blog post outlining updates for what it describes as the AI learning era in education.