Google clarifies AI policy for K-12 schools, allowing optional Gemini features while keeping search active
Google said schools can disable its Gemini AI tools but must opt in to keep search, which remains integrated with AI features; the company will not provide a non-AI search option.
Google announced that K-12 schools using its education suite must opt in to AI products, including Gemini and AI-enhanced search, for student accounts. The company said schools can disable the Gemini apps while keeping standard search active, and they may also turn off all AI features if desired.
A Google spokesperson told Ars Technica that the policy has not changed since its initial announcement and that schools can block Gemini while still accessing search, which includes AI Overviews and AI Mode. Schools that want to remove AI entirely can do so by disabling all related features, including the AI components of search.
"Schools can block the Gemini app, but the AI tools in search are still present and offer many of the same intellectual shortcuts," the spokesperson said.
Google noted that the new "responsible AI for learning" framework does not provide a toggle for a purely non-AI web search, as the company views AI as integral to the future of search. While other search engines offer settings to turn off AI, Google has not implemented such an option.
The policy comes amid broader discussions about AI use in education and follows a recent antitrust ruling that may require Google to grant limited access to its web index to competitors, potentially expanding alternatives to its search service.