Educational Setting
Google Is Forcing AI Overviews in Classrooms. Schools Are Searching for a Way Out
Google Is Forcing AI Overviews in Classrooms. Google is tying up AI Overviews with traditional search, angering parents and educators who worry that easy, machine-generated answers are leaving kids less capable. Two weeks ago, an IT administrator for an elementary-middle school took to Google's support forums requesting a way to block students from seeing AI Overviews --the chatbot-generated answers at the top of search results. "This seems counterproductive to what we're trying to teach," the administrator wrote . "Students need opportunities to navigate search results, examine sources, and draw their own conclusions rather than being handed an AI-generated synthesis before they've even started."
Children spending too long on maths app TT Rockstars, MP warns
Concerns have been raised with the government about the amount of time primary school children are spending on a game designed to make learning times tables fun. TT Rockstars, which allows children to compete with their classmates for virtual coins and rock-star themed characters and outfits, is widely used by schools for maths homework. Labour MP Emily Darlington said the app and others like it could be harming children's development because it rewards them for length of time rather than quality of time spent online. Bruno Reddy, founder of the firm behind TT Rockstars, said he shared concerns about screen time and was working with schools to bring in curfews and time limits. He said the company discourages long sessions, adding: Every game in TTRS is deliberately short, and our characters remind children to take regular breaks.
Google lets schools turn off Gemini, but not the AI in search
Google, whose Chromebooks are the most widely used laptops in U.S. classrooms, has faced growing resistance to AI from parents and school districts. Schools that want their K-12 students to have access to Google Search will soon have to turn it on themselves, and the AI features built into Search will come with it, under changes the Alphabet company announced Tuesday. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager of education, said in a blog post that Search, along with Google's Gemini chatbot, Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Google Classroom, will be set off by default for K-12 student accounts until school administrators turn them on. Search, however, will include AI features. The company said it would share more specifics with schools "in the coming months" ahead of the rollout and that the decision followed conversations with schools, teachers, researchers and policymakers.
The Cat in the Hat, reviewed in the style of Dr. Seuss
Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Safety Net Say More Look Up Mashable @Home In My Bag Versus Trending Now Creator Playbook Mashable Selects Getting Technical with Mashable All Series'The Cat in the Hat,' reviewed in the style of Dr. Seuss Our critic has tried her hand at a rhyme. Do you dare to give this review your time? Kristy Puchko is the Entertainment Editor at Mashable. Based in New York City, she's an established film critic and entertainment reporter who has traveled the world on assignment, covered a variety of film festivals, co-hosted movie-focused podcasts, and interviewed a wide array of performers and filmmakers. All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers.
Google says there's no way to use Search without using artificial intelligence
Some critics called Google's announcement a'hostile ultimatum'. Some critics called Google's announcement a'hostile ultimatum'. Google says there's no way to use Search without using artificial intelligence In announcement geared to schools, tech giant shows how entwined AI is with the world's most popular website Google just acknowledged that you can't use Google Search without using artificial intelligence . The search giant announced a slate of new AI products for classrooms and schools on Tuesday as well as more ways for teachers and schools to limit or restrict use of those AI tools. The company said the schools should have control over whether students use AI in the classroom.
Google says students in schools that ban AI won't have access to Search
Google says students in schools that ban AI won't have access to Search Google says students in schools that ban AI won't have access to Search Gotta get those AI user numbers up somehow. Google seems to have shoved as many AI features into as many of its products as it can over the last few years in an attempt to justify the tens of billions of dollars it has plowed into the technology. It appears to be making another attempt to bump up its AI user numbers by issuing an ultimatum to schools: enable AI features or students won't be able to use Search. In one of several blog posts Google published Tuesday about its education efforts, it said it believes educators should have control over the use of AI in schools. After listening to schools, teachers, leading researchers and policymakers, we are now updating our approach to controls for Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search, Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager for education, wrote .
With AI, we need to reconsider what it means to learn
"With AI, we need to reconsider what it means to learn" Generative AI has worked its way into every field over the past four years and is prompting us to reconsider our habits. At universities, students are using it to write, find information and solve problems, while scientists have already incorporated it largely into their research. Teachers are being called on to rethink how they do their job now that AI programs can complete - in just seconds - a number of tasks traditionally assigned to students. These are just some of the questions we explore in our special online report on AI at universities, published at the start of this new school year . These are also questions that Schwartz - a professor of educational technology at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a faculty director at the Stanford Accelerator for Learning - has been studying for the past few years.
Your last-minute cheat sheet for voting in key Los Angeles elections
Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. People vote Saturday at the Hammer Museum in Westwood. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. You live in Los Angeles County and you've been too busy to focus on the local races. Now, you have to vote. Here is a last-minute cheat sheet covering key races in Los Angeles and L.A. County. Consider this an entry point to understanding the issues. Bass, 73, is a veteran lawmaker who served in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., before coming to City Hall.
Become a Claude power user with this 20 E-Degree
Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Safety Net Look Up Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Mashable @Home In My Bag Versus Trending Now Say More Creator Playbook Mashable Selects Getting Technical with Mashable All Series Make Claude work smarter for you with this online training deal. The following content is brought to you by Mashable partners. If you buy a product featured here, we may earn an affiliate commission or other compensation. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Learning to use AI efficiently is becoming increasingly important, whether you're working on personal projects or trying to incorporate it into your workflow.
The 11 best celebrity Halloween costumes of 2026, from Heidi Klum to Keke Palmer
Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Safety Net Look Up Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Mashable @Home In My Bag Versus Trending Now Say More Creator Playbook Mashable Selects Getting Technical with Mashable All Series Olivia Tauber is the deputy editor of digital culture, covering creators, media, movies, beauty, and more. Based in New York, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Cut, Teen Vogue, Complex, and Interview Magazine. She holds a Master's degree in Journalism from NYU and a Bachelor's from the University of Michigan. She also runs Fan Mail, a weekly pop-culture newsletter. Celebrity Halloween has become a holiday within a holiday.