Google to everyone saying ‘company threatened schools over using AI; says: We want to clarify, we are giving more …
A report recently claimed that Google is turning off the AI tools – Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Search for K-12 students starting next year. Access to these products will be entirely off for K-12 student accounts until school administrators explicitly turn them on,” it said. Here’s what we announced: – Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Search will be OFF 🔴 by default.
Google’s vice president of education, Chris Phillips, told The New York Times that the company’s AI features are “deeply integrated” into Search, meaning students cannot access one without the other. “Google is trying to use its monopoly power to force AI into our public schools,” Zohran Mamdani wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Bernie Sanders wrote that “Google is threatening schools,” referring to the policy as “extortion. They can choose to turn ON one, two, or all of these services individually, the tech giant said.
Soon after the announcement, many politicians and leaders including Bernie Sanders and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani voiced their outrage on social media. In the post, Google clarified that while Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Search will be OFF by default, Schools will be in control. “After listening to schools, teachers, leading researchers, and policymakers, we are now updating our approach to controls for Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search.
“We want to clarify what we announced today about our education services. Today’s announcements give schools more choice, not less,” Google wrote on X. Today’s announcements give schools more choice, not less.