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."

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, 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.

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.

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 According to two new surveys, AI chat bots are a normal part of life for young Americans, whether for homework help or emotional support. An alarming new survey from media and tech non-profit Common Sense Media has found that children begin interacting with AI chatbots at an alarmingly early age -- with nearly half of 9-12-year-olds having bypassed the 13+ age restriction common to most LLMs. The survey is titled The 2026 Common Sense Media Census: Tech and Media Use by Tweens and Teens . In the paper, the organization conducted interviews with more than 1,200 American children aged 9 to 17, asking questions about AI use as well as television, gaming, and social media habits. More importantly, the interviews asked these young children how they feel about their own media consumption habits.

Private schools are not bound by bureaucracy, and can swiftly change policy directions. Private schools are not bound by bureaucracy, and can swiftly change policy directions. Silicon Valley parents want the tech they help build out of their children's schools Both private and public schools in tech regions are limiting the use of tech in classrooms. But will low-income districts be able to follow suit? German Gil spends most of his waking hours looking at screens.

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Say More Versus Trending Now Look Up In My Bag Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable @Home Mashable Selects Top creators, ranked Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Creator Playbook AI at School All Series I do not know how to teach kids this low. 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.

Things to Do in L.A. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. San Francisco Bay Area residents, living in the beating heart of the artificial intelligence boom, are just as conflicted about the technology as the rest of the country.