Google has revealed plans to disable its AI-powered tools by default for K-12 student accounts. Products including Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and even Google Search will be "entirely off" unless school administrators manually activate them.
Yes, Google Search is part of that list. According to the company, Search and AI are now "deeply integrated," which means schools that refuse AI entirely must also forgo Search access for their students. Learners at those schools will instead be greeted with a notice stating that Search is unavailable.
Following backlash over the announcement, Google clarified that administrators can enable each service separately — so Search can be switched back on while the Gemini app and Gemini Notebook remain disabled. However, there is no AI-free version of Search available. Students will still encounter AI Overviews and AI Mode, though Google says these features will be adjusted to deliver "step-by-step guided learning through problems" rather than instant answers to homework questions.
This approach expands on Guided Learning, Gemini's tutoring mode that leads students through open-ended questions instead of simply revealing solutions. The feature will arrive in Search for student accounts as a pilot program in select US schools later this month. So if a student drops in a physics equation or requests help with a book report, Search will coach them through the process gradually. Guided Learning is also rolling out globally within Google Classroom starting today, where teachers can assign it as an activity.
Google plans to provide schools with additional information over the coming months, ahead of the new controls going live early next year. Previously, Gemini was enabled automatically for schools using Google Classroom — a move that attracted sharp criticism from parent advocacy organizations.
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