Google Bundles Gemini for Education with Search, Sparking Backlash Across US Schools

Google has updated its education account policies to allow schools to opt out of AI tools like Gemini, but with a caveat: disabling AI also cuts off access to Google Search. With Chromebooks accounting for more than half of all student-issued devices in the United States, the move has drawn criticism from school districts and antitrust experts, who accuse the company of leveraging its search monopoly to force the adoption of its AI products. Major districts, including New York and Los Angeles, are moving forward with restrictions on generative AI in the classroom, yet can ill afford to abandon Google's foundational search infrastructure.