Google faced immediate backlash after announcing on Tuesday that schools using Google’s K-12 software would not be able to use search unless they opt-in to use the AI tool.
Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president of education, told the New York Times that “search and AI are deeply integrated,” so if a student’s school doesn’t opt in to using AI tools like Gemini, the student “will lose access to search and will see a message from the school saying search is unavailable.”
Even though Google made this announcement on a busy election day, several left-leaning politicians took the time to voice their concerns.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) accused Google of “blackmail” in an X post, writing, “Google is threatening schools. If you stop using AI for students, we will cut off your access to Google Search.” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said on X that Google is “more interested in forcing Gemini into schools than in helping students succeed.”
Lina Khan, a former Federal Trade Commission chair and fierce anti-monopoly advocate, also denounced Google’s decision as anticompetitive.
“This highlights the dangers of allowing unregulated monopolies to dominate critical services,” she wrote. “Multiple courts have found Google liable for antitrust violations, and this move shows that the company remains unpunished.”
New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani accused Google of being a monopoly, saying, “No company should have the power to decide how our children are educated.”
Search is a necessary tool for gathering information, but educators worry that the introduction of AI in search will deter students from finding answers on their own. For the millions of students who need to use Chromebooks and Google’s educational tools, using another search engine is not an easy solution.
Google said it is working on a “guided learning” tool for search student accounts. It aims to guide students through the process of solving problems and finding information, rather than simply providing answers. For example, if a student is struggling with a math problem, this feature could prompt them to refresh their memory about the rules for dividing exponents instead of regurgitating the numbers.
In response to the backlash, Google noted in a post to
“We understand there are concerns about students using AI to shorten their school work, and schools have said they are seeking controls,” Google said in a statement. “That’s why we’re making these changes today to address the feedback we’ve heard from educators in recent months. And we continue to engage deeply with educators to give schools more choice, more control, and more search for learning.”
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