Cutting corners: Google executives appear hell-bent on their effort to turn AI into a real business opportunity, even if the effort ends up undermining the company's revenue streams. This latest move looks like an attempt to push Gemini use among students and educational staff, potentially at the expense of rivals such as ChatGPT, which arguably have more mindshare and mainstream adoption at the moment.
According to Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager for education, K-12 schools will soon have to fully embrace the company's AI services or lose student access to its web search engine.
Under the new policy, Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom, and Search will be turned off by default for K-12 student accounts until administrators enable them. The change could strain Google's relationship with the education sector, but Mountain View says there is no alternative.
Phillips argues that Search and AI are now deeply integrated services. If a school chooses to ban AI entirely, its students will lose access to Search as well. Instead of results, they will see a message from their school stating that the services are not available.
The move looks like an effort to push Gemini use among students and educational staff, potentially at the expense of rivals such as ChatGPT, which arguably have more mindshare and mainstream adoption at the moment.
Classroom is a free learning tool designed to provide a tailored experience to educational institutions. The service brings Gmail, Drive, Docs, and several other Google services together in a single platform, and is already used by more than 150 million students, teachers, and education professionals worldwide.
The "deep" integration between Gemini's chatbot and traditional web search is apparently the next major evolution in how Classroom works. Phillips said Google is taking a different approach to students' learning needs, one meant to curb cheating among US students while improving their AI-based experience, including a Guided Learning feature that walks students through problems rather than handing over answers.
In August, Mountain View said Gemini and other AI features would become the default experience for K-12 students who were already allowed to access the chatbot. The company is now reversing course and forcing schools to avoid total AI bans if they also want to keep web search.
Google's push to bring AI to K-12 students is likely to clash with the mounting opposition to chatbots in the US. Officials are either banning generative AI for younger students or trying to restrict AI access on school-provided devices.
Monetization of AI Mode is another challenge for Google moving forward. On its most recent earnings call, the company acknowledged that chatbot-based search earns less than traditional search, and investors are growing uneasy about the new business direction. Alphabet shares fell roughly 10% afterward.
