Google is changing K-12 controls so Search and Gemini remain off until schools enable them, while Guided Learning replaces AI Overviews for students.
Google is changing how AI and Search are controlled in K-12 schools, giving administrators more authority over whether students can access its AI-powered tools.
Google says Search, Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Classroom will be turned off for student accounts by default until school administrators explicitly enable them.
Google is also bringing Guided Learning to Search for student accounts.
Instead of immediately providing answers to homework questions, the feature is designed to walk students through problems step by step using prompts and explanations.
Google will pilot Guided Learning in select U.S. schools later this month before expanding it more broadly. Guided Learning is already available globally through Google Classroom.
However, schools that want AI completely disabled face a trade-off.
Google education executive Chris Phillips told Chalkbeat that because AI is now deeply integrated into Search, schools that do not want AI enabled will also need to keep Google Search unavailable for student accounts.
Chalkbeat reports that Guided Learning will replace AI Overviews when students search while signed into school-managed accounts.
The policy highlights a growing challenge for schools: controlling student access to generative AI is becoming harder as AI features become embedded directly into everyday search and classroom tools.
