Google says AI is integral to Search, warns schools of access loss if blocked

Google announced a suite of AI-driven products for classrooms, including Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and a new "Guided Learning" feature that will be embedded in Search. The company said access to these tools will be turned off by default for K-12 accounts, and school administrators must enable them explicitly. > "Search and AI are deeply integrated," said Chris Phillips, Google’s vice-president for education, adding that a school-wide ban on AI would also block Search and display a notice to students. The move has drawn criticism from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who posted on X that Google is using its market position to force AI adoption in public schools, and from former FTC chair Lina Khan, who tweeted that Google is leveraging its search monopoly to coerce schools. Advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens described the policy as a "hostile ultimatum" and called for regulatory intervention. Google did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.