Google says Gemini will be off by default for students amid concerns of AI use in schools
Follow UsGemini, Gemini Notebook and Search will be off by default for K-12 student accounts until school administrators enable them.
Schools can choose to activate individual services based on their requirements.
- Google is bringing Guided Learning to Search and Classroom to help students understand concepts through step-by-step lessons.
Google has announced a host of updates for its school-based products, such as adding Guided Learning capabilities in Search and Google Classroom and “evolving” its approach concerning controls for schools. Based on the feedback from relevant industry stakeholders, the search leader is also updating its approach to controls for Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Search. “Access to these products will be entirely off for K-12 student accounts until school administrators explicitly turn them on,” Google said.
SurveyThe move comes after Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai faced scrutiny from US senators over Google’s AI features, enabled by default for students, and the associated risks to the learning process.
Google clarification on product updates for schools
In a clarification on X (formerly Twitter), @NewsfromGoogle said the announcements give schools more choice and not less. Based on the feedback received from K-12 schools, Google has decided “Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Search will be OFF by default”. Schools can turn on one or more of these services individually.
The company said it is updating the Search experience, especially AI Mode and Overviews, to focus on a step-by-step learning approach for students rather than quick answers. “We know there’s concern about students using AI to shortcut schoolwork, and schools have told us they want control. That’s exactly why we are making these changes today to address the feedback we’ve heard from educators in recent months,” Google said.
We want to clarify what we announced today about our education services. Today’s announcements give schools more choice, not less. Here’s what we announced: – Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Search will be OFF 🔴 by default. This is based on K-12 schools asking for more control over student use of AI services. – Schools are in control: They can choose to turn ON 🟢 one, two, or all of these services individually. – We are also updating Search for schools to make it better for learning. Specifically, AI Mode and AI Overviews will offer step-by-step guided learning through problems, so that students don’t get quick answers to schoolwork. We know there’s concern about students using AI to shortcut schoolwork, and schools have told us they want control. That’s exactly why we are making these changes today to address the feedback we’ve heard from educators in recent months. And we’ll continue to engage deeply with educators to ensure we are giving schools more choice, more controls, and improved Search for learning.
— News from Google (@NewsFromGoogle) November 3, 2026
In an interview with The New York Times, Chris Phillips, Google’s VP for Education, said, “Search and AI are deeply integrated”, and students who do not have access to Search will see a message that it is not available due to the limitations set by their school.
Guided Learning in Search and Classroom
Meanwhile, for schools choosing to enable the AI experience, the company announced two key updates in a recent blog post. Guided Learning is an interactive study tool that helps students with problem-solving via a step-by-step approach and open-ended queries. Google noted that Guided Learning will be integrated into Search for student accounts so that it helps them understand a topic and the process step by step rather than getting the answer directly.
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This will help them “think critically” and understand the concepts. The pilot phase of this integration will be available in the US this month. A wider release will follow after the feedback workup. Moreover, Google Classroom will get Guided Learning support. “When a student starts a Guided Learning activity assigned by their teacher, it acts like a 1-1 study tool, anchored in class material to help them stay on task,” Google said. Further, Classroom can now give educators insights in real-time to inform them where students might need help.
