Google will block search access for schools that ban AI use

Updated on: November 3, 2026 / 5:44 PM EST / CBS News

Google said on Tuesday that it will turn off artificial intelligence in its educational apps for K-12 student accounts unless school administrators expressly enable it.

The Alphabet-owned search giant said that after surveying school administrators and teachers, it wants educational institutions to control students' access to various AI capabilities.

Access to Google's AI features — Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Classroom — as well as Google search will be automatically turned off for K-12 student accounts until "school administrators explicitly turn them on," Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager of education, said in a blog post.

Schools that ban AI "will not have access to search, and they'll see a message from their school that indicates it's not available," Phillips told The New York Times.

While Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Search will be turned off by default, schools can choose to turn on one, two or all three services, Google explained in a post on X Tuesday.

"We believe schools should have control over AI in their classrooms and in providing administrators with controls to help them manage their approach," Phillips wrote in the post.

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/