Google to require schools to opt in to Gemini and Search for students
Guided Learning is also expanding in education, with worldwide Classroom availability and a planned Search trial at selected US schools.
Google said it will disable Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Google Search for K-12 student accounts, requiring school administrators to enable the services individually. The company will provide schools with further details and a schedule for the change.
The announcement follows restrictions on student AI use in major US school districts, including New York and Los Angeles, according to Chalkbeat. Google previously enabled Gemini for all students by default, a decision that surprised many districts.
Separately, Google has made its Guided Learning mode available globally through Classroom. The mode uses questions and step-by-step explanations rather than supplying answers directly. Teachers can assign activities and review students’ conversations. Google also plans to test the mode within Search at selected US schools, prompting students to work through problems themselves.
Schools cannot keep Search available while removing all of its AI features, Google’s education chief Chris Phillips told Chalkbeat. He said schools unwilling to allow AI would need to disable Search altogether. Common Sense Media criticized Google’s AI Search in July, saying it posed an unacceptable risk to students.
