Google links school search access to AI adoption

Google will restrict search engine access for K-12 schools that do not enable its artificial intelligence features.

The company announced the policy change on Tuesday via a blog post. Google stated it surveyed administrators and teachers to determine how schools want to manage AI capabilities. The firm wants to give educators direct control over these tools.

However, the company told The New York Times that schools declining to use AI tools like Classroom and Notebook will lose access to Google Search. Chris Phillips, Google’s vice president for Education, explained that AI is now deeply integrated into the search engine. If a school bans AI, students will see a message indicating the search function is unavailable.

The move has drawn sharp criticism from city leaders and former regulators. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted on social media that Google is using its monopoly power to force AI into public schools. He argued that corporations should not dictate teaching methods to grow profit margins.

New York City schools banned AI in September and implemented a one-year delay for generative AI use in grades 2-K through eighth. Approximately 600,000 students are affected by this ban. The restriction covers all software that uses student-facing generative AI, including companion chatbots.

Lina Khan, who served as Federal Trade Commission chair from 2021 to 2025, criticized the strategy in a statement on X. She said the move exploits Google’s dominance in internet search. Khan, who now chairs the board of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, noted that multiple courts have found Google liable for antitrust violations. She described the new policy as a punishment for schools that do not align with Google’s AI push.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS News regarding the new policy structure.