DuckDuckGo is courting schools after Google announced K-12 AI controls that would cut student Search access at schools disabling Google’s other AI features; CEO Gabriel Weinberg offered setup help Nov. 3.
Google said it made the change after K-12 schools asked for greater control over AI access. Search, Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Classroom would be disabled for student accounts until administrators enable them.
The default settings and Search restriction are separate: administrators can turn on the products one by one, but students at schools that disable Google’s other AI features lose Search access. DuckDuckGo said Google could keep Search available while disabling its AI functions.
EconoTimes previously described Google’s plan to place Search and Gemini behind school administrator controls.
Google Search includes AI Overview and AI Mode, which use artificial intelligence to answer queries. DuckDuckGo’s criticism focuses on making Search access depend on a school’s AI decisions.
Weinberg paired his offer with instructions for schools seeking to make DuckDuckGo their default. Chief public affairs officer Kamyl Bazbaz challenged Google’s approach in an X post, writing, “Forcing AI on school children,” and urging readers to “Prove Google wrong.”
DuckDuckGo’s lineup includes a chat service called Duck.ai and an assistant that uses AI in search. People can adjust AI features through DuckDuckGo’s search and browser settings. At noai.duckduckgo.com, users can switch off AI-assisted answers, AI-generated images and prompts suggesting they try AI tools.
Google has not given a start date for the controls and said it would share further details with schools in the coming months.
