GOOGLE TO DISABLE AI TOOLS BY DEFAULT FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN AMID BACKLASH

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Google has announced plans to disable its artificial intelligence tools by default for schoolchildren, following criticism over the introduction of AI features into classrooms without sufficient consultation with schools.

Under the changes announced in a blog post on Tuesday, Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and AI features in Google Search will be switched off for K-12 student accounts until school administrators choose to activate them.

Google told AFP that the new controls would be rolled out worldwide, beginning in the United States, although no implementation date had been announced.

However, the changes mean schools will also be unable to provide students with Google Search without its integrated AI features.

Google’s Vice President for Education, Chris Phillips, told The New York Times that “Search and A.I. are deeply integrated,” explaining that artificial intelligence features had become part of the company’s search engine.

He said schools that opted to ban AI would also have to restrict students’ access to Search, adding that affected students would receive a message from their schools explaining that the service was unavailable.

Google, which has a dominant presence in American schools, provides educational applications such as Gmail, Docs and Classroom, while its low-cost Chromebook laptops are widely used by students.

The announcement followed criticism from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who accused the technology company of using its market dominance to introduce AI into public schools.

“No corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children,” Mamdani wrote on X, describing Google’s move as an attempt to use its monopoly power to force AI into schools.

More than 150 million students worldwide use Google Classroom, according to a letter sent to the company last month by US Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley, who questioned why AI features had been made the default on school devices.

In August, Google made its Gemini chatbot available to students of all ages through Classroom.

The tool provides students with prompts tailored to their classes and assignments, alongside guided assistance, study guides, practice quizzes and flashcards generated from their learning materials.

The feature was automatically activated for students in schools that had already enabled Gemini.

In September, New York and Los Angeles announced plans to restrict access to AI tools on school devices.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Unified School District told AFP that the district was reviewing Google’s announcement and its potential implications for schools, educators and students.

The spokesperson said the district believed AI could improve teaching and learning if introduced carefully and supported by clear safeguards.

The district also maintained that technology should complement rather than replace teachers while protecting students’ privacy.

In a statement on X, Google said the latest changes were intended to give schools greater control over the use of AI.

“We know there’s concern about students using AI to shortcut schoolwork, and schools have told us they want control,” the company said.