Google announces it will allow schools to disable AI tools, but at the cost of completely losing access to Google Search
On November 3, 2026, Google announced that starting next year, it will allow schools to disable AI tools for primary and secondary school students after administrators explicitly opt in, involving Gemini, NotebookLM, Gemini for Classroom, and Google Search, among others. Because Google Search has deeply integrated AI, schools that disable AI will be unable to access Search and will only see an unavailable prompt. This policy has sparked a difficult dilemma for the education sector.