Google to switch off AI tools for school pupils by default

Google will turn off its artificial intelligence (AI) tools for school pupils by default, and the change is set to reach all schools around the world. The company confirmed the move after facing criticism for pushing AI features to learners while teachers and education authorities are still debating how the technology belongs in classrooms.

Under the new rules, Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and AI features in Search will stay off for school student accounts. They will only work once a school administrator switches them on. Google has said the controls will roll out globally, beginning in the United States, but it has not given a date for other countries. It is therefore not yet clear when Kenyan schools will see the change.

The decision matters beyond one country because of how deeply Google sits inside modern schooling. Its Gmail, Docs and Classroom tools are used in schools across the world, and more than 150 million students use Google Classroom. Many schools also depend on low cost Chromebook laptops. Where a school already runs on these tools, a change in Google’s defaults quickly becomes a change in how pupils learn.

Pressure had been building for weeks. In August, Google opened its Gemini chatbot inside Classroom to students of all ages. Pupils saw prompts linked to their own class and assignment, along with study guides, practice quizzes and flashcards built from their course materials. At schools that had already enabled Gemini, the feature came on automatically. Lawmakers abroad then wrote to the company asking why AI had become the default on school devices, and two of the biggest school systems in the United States moved to restrict AI tools on school computers.

Critics say the real issue is who decides. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused Google of using its dominance to force AI into public schools, arguing that no corporation should dictate how children are taught. Google rejects that view. It says the update gives schools more choice, adding that schools had told it they want control because of fears that pupils may use AI to shortcut their schoolwork.

There is a catch, however. Google’s vice president for education, Chris Phillips, has explained that AI is now built into Search itself. As a result, a school cannot keep Search and remove the AI features. If administrators ban AI, pupils lose access to Search on school accounts and instead see a message saying it is unavailable.

School districts abroad are still studying what this means. Los Angeles Unified School District said it is reviewing the announcement and believes AI can improve learning if introduced with clear safeguards. It added that technology should support teachers, not replace them, and must protect student privacy. New York City schools said they have already disabled the Gemini chatbot and AI mode on student Chromebooks, and have asked Google to remove AI summaries from search results shown to pupils.