Google mandates AI opt-in for school search access, drawing criticism from politicians and advocates

Google announced that K-12 schools must opt into using AI tools to retain access to Google Search, a move that immediately sparked significant public backlash. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president for education, confirmed that without opting into AI features like Gemini, students will be blocked from Search. This decision drew sharp condemnation from various political figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders, who labeled the action as extortion, and Senator Richard Blumenthal, who argued Google prioritized forcing Gemini adoption over student success. Lina Khan, the former FTC chair, criticized the policy as anti-competitive, warning about the risks of an unregulated monopolist controlling essential services, citing past antitrust findings against Google. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani echoed these concerns, stating no corporation should dictate educational methods. While Google clarified that the change provides schools with more control by making AI features off by default, it also noted that educators had requested this control in recent months. Educators expressed worry that the integrated AI overviews might discourage students from independently seeking answers. Google responded by detailing a new Guided Learning tool for student accounts, intended to guide problem-solving rather than simply providing answers. In response to the outcry, Google also confirmed that schools can individually toggle Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Search on or off.