Google will tell schools that starting in early 2027, students can use Google Search only if the school also accepts AI features. Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Google Search will all be off by default for student accounts. Schools can turn each one on individually, but a version of search without AI will no longer be offered.
The New York Times first reported the change. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president for education, said search and AI have become too tightly fused to separate.
Google recently turned on AI features by default inside Classroom for schools with Gemini access. That move drew backlash, and the company is now reversing course. Schools that enable search will get one of two versions. The first includes full AI overviews and AI chat. The second uses "Guided Learning," a mode designed to steer students toward answers rather than give them directly.
Google dominates the US school market with Chromebooks, Gmail, and Classroom. Education professor Morgan Polikoff called the move a textbook case of the tech industry pushing AI onto users whether they want it or not. New York City and Los Angeles, the two largest school districts in the country, pulled back on AI for students in September. Los Angeles wanted to keep using Google Search without AI overviews. According to the report, Google will not allow that.
CATEGOR