Google faces criticism over linking school Search access to AI adoption

Google is facing criticism over a plan affecting schools that use its K-12 education software. Chris Phillips, the company’s vice president for education, told The New York Times that Search and AI are closely integrated. Schools that do not opt in to tools such as Gemini would leave students without Search, who would instead see a notice from their school saying the service was unavailable.

Several politicians objected to the policy. Senator Bernie Sanders called it “extortion,” while Senator Richard Blumenthal said Google appeared more focused on putting Gemini in schools than helping students. Former Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan described the move as anticompetitive and cited court findings that Google violated antitrust laws. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said no corporation should control how children are taught.

Educators have also raised concerns that AI-generated overviews could discourage students from seeking answers independently, particularly because many rely on Chromebooks and Google’s education tools. Google said schools can activate Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Search separately, with the services off by default. It also announced a Guided Learning feature intended to help students work through problems rather than simply provide answers.