Google to Cut Off Search Access for Schools That Disable AI Features Starting in 2027

Google plans to roll out a new policy for schools starting in early 2027, under which institutions that reject student-facing AI features will lose access to Google Search entirely, with traditional AI-free search no longer offered. While the features will remain disabled by default for student accounts, once administrators enable Search, they must choose between two options: a mode with full AI Overviews and conversational AI, or one featuring heuristic, guided learning prompts. Despite previous restrictions on student AI access imposed by major school districts such as New York City and Los Angeles, Google is moving ahead with the bundling policy, arguing that deep technical integration makes the features impossible to decouple.