Google says its artificial intelligence tools are now so built into its search engine that the two cannot be separated for students. That claim is at the center of a growing fight over a new policy for K-12 school accounts.
Under the policy, schools that choose to block Google’s AI tools will also lose access to Google Search for student accounts. Parents, teachers and a U.S. senator are now pushing the company to change course.
An Alphabet spokesperson told CBS News that the AI features are tightly linked to search. Because of that, the company said it cannot offer search to students without also turning on the AI services.
What Google Changed
Google announced a range of new AI tools for schools last week. The update covers Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search.
Access to these products will be fully off for K-12 student accounts until school administrators turn them on. Schools that keep the AI tools off will also go without search.
“We believe schools should have control over AI in their classrooms and in providing administrators with controls to help them manage their approach,” said Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president and general manager of education. He said the change came after listening to schools, teachers, researchers and policymakers.
Roughly 150 million students and teachers use Google Classroom. It is one of the company’s most widely used education products.
Senator Seeks Answers on Student Safety
Sen. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, sent a letter to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai on Monday. He asked the company to reverse the policy.
“At a time when schools, parents and policymakers are working hard to implement safeguards on AI chatbots for our children, Google is recklessly forcing AI on schools and treating kids like collateral damage,” Markey wrote. He said the choice “places schools in an impossible position.”
Markey asked whether Google will let schools turn off AI features and chatbots while keeping search available. He also asked the company to share any research or testing on the safety of its AI tools and their effect on the mental health of K-12 students.
“Although Google has a right to create and offer new educational tools, it should not use its dominant market position to force schools to adopt them,” he wrote. He said schools should be able to block chatbots without losing an important research tool.
Parents and teachers who spoke to the Guardian were divided on the issue. Many said they worry AI could weaken students’ critical-thinking skills.
A father of two in Amissville, Virginia, called the policy “nothing but extortion.” Jen Atay, a teacher in Hawaii, said it is inappropriate for Google to test or develop AI with minors.
Some parents suggested other options. Rachel Dominguez, a parent in Minneapolis, said students could use academic databases such as JSTOR and arXiv, while others pointed to search engines like DuckDuckGo.
Not everyone opposed the move. A technology teacher in Texas said AI is not going away and that schools should teach students how to use it properly rather than block it.
A California resident said it made little sense to remove Google Search, which has existed since the 1990s, instead of just removing Gemini. The person added that schools could use Gemini to show students that AI sources are not always reliable.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also criticized the policy in a social media post. He accused Google of “trying to use its monopoly power to force AI into our public schools.”
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Markey’s letter. The company has not said whether it plans to change the policy.
