Google is changing how its AI tools work for students in schools. Under a new policy announced Wednesday, AI features in Google Search and several Gemini products will be turned off by default for K-12 student accounts.
School administrators will now decide whether students can use these tools. Until an administrator switches them on, the features will stay off.
The change covers Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search for student accounts managed by schools. Chris Phillips, VP and General Manager of Education at Google, announced the update in a company blog post.
Phillips said the change came after feedback from schools, teachers, researchers, and policymakers. “Our goal is simple: provide school leaders the control and confidence to use AI products in classrooms as they see fit,” he wrote.
Search Will Look Different on School Accounts
Students on school-managed accounts can still use Google Search. However, AI features such as AI Overviews and the new Guided Learning tool will not appear unless an administrator turns them on.
This means a student could type the same question on a school account and a personal account and get different results. 9to5Google described this as a two-tier Search experience.
Districts that want the full AI version must change their Google Workspace for Education settings. Google said it will notify schools in the coming months before the new defaults take effect.
Under the old approach, many AI features were on by default. Administrators had to actively turn them off if they did not want students using them, and the new opt-in model reverses that.
How Guided Learning Works
Guided Learning is a tool Google built to help students work through problems instead of getting direct answers. It already runs in a similar coaching mode in the Gemini app.
If a student pastes a physics problem into Search or asks for help with a book report, the tool will give prompts. These prompts are meant to help the student think through the ideas rather than hand over finished work.
Google calls this approach “productive struggle.” The goal is to keep students challenged without pushing them to the point of frustration.
Google said its own research shows Guided Learning leads to measurable learning gains. The company has run studies over the past two years in countries including the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan.
In Google Classroom, Guided Learning is now available worldwide. Teachers can assign it as a one-on-one study tool tied to class material.
Teachers also get real-time insights showing where students may need extra help. This lets them adjust lessons without waiting for test results.
Administrators can roll out the tools in stages, such as by grade level or subject. They can also keep AI turned off entirely where they decide it is not a good fit.
In Search, Guided Learning will start with a pilot program at select US schools later in November. Google said it plans to expand the feature to more school districts in the coming months.
