Why is Google cutting off Search from AI-free schools? Here are some theories

To use Google Search, schools have to keep AI Overviews The forthcoming move has left some parents and educators frustrated and wondering about the company's motivations.

If schools don't want Google AI Overviews to appear when students use its flagship Search tool, the company said, they will lose access to Google Search altogether.

Google is a big part of the school day for millions of students. It's not only a search engine. It's a hub for sharing documents and turning in homework.

An announcement this month makes it clear: Google wants AI to be a part of that education ecosystem.

"Parents are angry," said Jodi Carreon, a mom in Southern California. "They're very angry."

When Carreon, who also runs the advocacy group Schools Beyond Screens , first read that Google was letting schools turn off AI features for students, she was excited. Her group is part of the parent-led movement demanding limits on technology in the classroom .

But even as districts including Los Angeles Unified , Seattle Public Schools and New York City Public Schools recently agreed to bans on AI in the classroom, Google did not. If schools don't want AI Overviews to appear when students use its flagship Search tool, the company said, they will lose access to Google Search altogether. Even advocates who want less tech in schools know losing the ability to "Google" something will be an issue for teachers.

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