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.