Google will turn off Google Search, Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Classroom for K-12 student accounts by default unless school administrators explicitly enable them, under a policy change announced on November 3.
The company says the updated controls are intended to give schools more say over how AI is used in classrooms.
Schools that want to block Google’s AI features will also lose access to Search. Google said Search and AI are deeply integrated, leaving administrators unable to disable the AI-powered features while keeping the search engine available, according to reporting on the announcement.
In its education update, Google said it will share rollout details with schools in the coming months. The company also said Guided Learning is now globally available in Classroom and will be tested in Search at selected U.S. schools later this month. The step-by-step study feature was previously introduced in Gemini.
The changes follow criticism of Google’s August decision to enable Gemini by default for many K-12 students using Classroom. Google had also expanded Classroom with parental monitoring and AI integration. The company says more than 150 million students and teachers worldwide use Classroom.
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