Google announced an important modification to its artificial intelligence policies for educational institutions this Tuesday. Starting in 2027, AI tools will remain disabled by default for primary and secondary students unless school authorities expressly authorize their use.
According to the company, the decision was made after consultations with schools, teachers, specialized researchers, and public policy officials.
However, the new policy presents a controversial condition: schools that decide to completely ban artificial intelligence will also lose access to Google's search engine from their students' institutional accounts.
This measure brings back a debate about the autonomy of educational institutions and the ability of large tech corporations to condition the use of essential digital tools.
Google will allow disabling artificial intelligence, but will also restrict its search engine
The modification will affect various services of the company, including Gemini, NotebookLM, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search.
Starting next year, school administrators will need to expressly enable the products they wish to make available to their students.
However, while they will be able to manage access to different tools individually, they will not have the option to use Google Search while completely eliminating the integrated artificial intelligence features in the search engine.
Chris Phillips, Vice President of Education at Google, explained in statements to The New York Times that "search and artificial intelligence are deeply integrated".
As a result, when an institution decides to completely restrict AI, its students will also be unable to use Google Search through their school accounts.
According to the executive, students will receive a message from their educational institution informing them that the service is not available.
In this way, Google offers schools the option to reject its artificial intelligence tools, but conditions that decision on abandoning its own search engine.
The controversial decision limits the autonomy of educational institutions
The change creates a dilemma for establishments that consider it necessary to restrict the use of artificial intelligence in certain academic activities.
Many teachers may prefer that their students research by consulting original sources, documents, and websites, rather than resorting directly to the automatically generated answers from tools like AI Overviews, Google's feature that provides summaries created using artificial intelligence.
However, those same teachers might find it essential for their students to continue using the search engine to access educational materials and develop their research.
The problem is that Google Search and its artificial intelligence tools can no longer be completely separated through the educational controls offered by the company.
The controversy becomes more relevant due to the significant weight that Google holds within the educational system, particularly in the United States.
Its applications are used by numerous educational institutions, while Chromebook computers are widely spread in classrooms.
This presence places the company in a privileged position within the educational technology infrastructure.
The paradox is evident: Google claims it aims to grant greater decision-making freedom to schools, but at the same time establishes conditions that limit their alternatives.
Although institutions can turn to other search engines and platforms, those that wish to retain Google Search will have to accept some of the artificial intelligence features that the company considers inseparable from its service.
Google defends its decision and promises to provide greater control to school administrators
In response to the questions, the company maintains that the goal of the modification is to address the concerns expressed by teachers, researchers, and educational authorities regarding the use of these technologies by minors.
Phillips explained in an official publication that Google will provide additional information in the coming months so that institutions can prepare before the implementation of the new policies.
"We will share more specific details with schools in the coming months, before the changes begin to be implemented, so they have time to prepare and ensure a smooth transition," he stated.
The executive also defended the company's intention.
"Our goal is simple: to provide school officials with the control and confidence needed to use artificial intelligence products in classrooms as they see fit", he affirmed.
However, the new policy leaves an open question: to what extent will institutions be able to freely decide on the incorporation of artificial intelligence when access to traditional research tools depends on accepting functions they would prefer to keep disabled.
Guided Learning: Google's new bet to incorporate artificial intelligence into teaching
Along with the announced modifications, Google introduced the expansion of Guided Learning, an artificial intelligence tool designed to support students during their academic activities.
The system, which had been previously presented earlier this year, functions similarly to a virtual tutor.
Unlike other assistants that provide immediate answers, Guided Learning is designed to help students understand content through progressive explanations and reasoning-oriented questions.
Google's stated goal is to promote deeper learning, preventing students from simply resorting to artificial intelligence for solutions without understanding the processes.
The tool is integrated into Google Classroom, while its functions will also begin to be integrated into Google Search through trials in selected schools.
The initiative responds to a growing concern within the educational field: the risk that the indiscriminate use of artificial intelligence assistants will end up replacing the intellectual effort required for learning.
While these technologies can become support tools for teachers and students, they also raise questions about their impact on critical thinking, intellectual autonomy, and knowledge acquisition.
The growing power of big tech over education
Google's decision reflects a broader transformation in the functioning of digital services: tools that originally served specific functions are progressively incorporating artificial intelligence systems that users cannot always deactivate.
In the educational realm, this situation is particularly relevant because technological decisions directly affect minors and institutions responsible for their education.
The incorporation of new tools can offer opportunities to improve learning processes, but it also raises the need to preserve the choice of teachers, parents, and school authorities.
The freedom of educational institutions to determine which technologies they use and under what conditions is a central issue in the debate.
In this case, Google claims it seeks to offer greater control, although its decision to keep the search engine and artificial intelligence linked introduces a concrete restriction.
The challenge is not only to determine whether artificial intelligence can improve education but also to establish who should decide how, when, and under what conditions it is incorporated into classrooms: educational institutions or the companies that develop and manage these technologies.
