Google to end search access for schools that block its AI tools
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other critics are accusing Google of trying to pressure U.S. schools to use AI.
Key points
- Google will disable AI in its education apps for K-12 accounts unless administrators explicitly enable it.
- Schools that decline to enable Google's AI tools will also lose access to Google search.
- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused Google of using monopoly power to force AI into schools.
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 company said that after surveying school administrators and teachers, it wants schools to control students' access to AI capabilities.
Google told The New York Times that schools which decline to enable its AI tools, such as Classroom and Notebook, for students will also lose access to Google's search engine. Google's vice president for Education, Chris Phillips, told the newspaper that AI is now deeply integrated into its search engine.
What schools would see
Phillips told the Times that a school that has banned AI use by students and educators "will not have access to search, and they'll see a message from their school that indicates it's not available." Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS News.
No corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children.
— New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani
Criticism of the policy
The policy immediately drew criticism that Google is pressuring schools to use its AI apps. In a social media statement, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused the company of "trying to use its monopoly power to force AI into our public schools" and said no corporation should dictate how children are taught.
In September, New York City schools said AI would be banned until students reach high school, with a one-year delay on generative AI for children in 2-K through eighth grade. Nearly 600,000 students, or two-thirds of total enrollment, will be affected, including all software using student-facing generative AI such as companion chatbots, according to education officials.
Lina Khan, FTC chair from 2021 to 2025, said on X that Google is seeking to exploit its search dominance. "This highlights the danger of allowing an unregulated monopolist to control an essential service," said Khan, who now chairs the board of the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
