Google will set access to Search and three Gemini services off by default for K-12 student accounts until administrators enable them, changing school-managed access to the company's search and AI tools, Google said Nov. 3.
The covered products are Google Search, Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Classroom. Google has not announced when the setting will take effect, and said it would give schools more details before the rollout.
Phillips' remarks suggest the controls could affect more than AI access. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager of education, told The New York Times that students at schools prohibiting AI would also lack Search access. “Search and A.I. are deeply integrated,” he told the newspaper.
Guided Learning, a tool that leads students through problems in stages, became available worldwide in Google Classroom on Nov. 3, Google said. The company expects to start a Search trial with a group of U.S. schools later in November, then bring the feature to additional districts over the following months.
AFP reported that Google told the news agency the controls would roll out worldwide, starting in the United States. The Google announcement did not specify where the rollout would begin or set a date for it.
The change follows an August update to Gemini in Classroom. Google said the service would become available from Aug. 10 to K-12 and higher-education students at schools where administrators had enabled the relevant services. Its Gemini tab was set to be on by default for eligible teachers and students, subject to administrator controls. EconoTimes previously covered Google's plan to give administrators control over student access.
