Google has announced that schools restricting AI entirely will lose access to Google Search. Chris Phillips, Google’s vice-president for education, told The New York Times that Search and AI are closely integrated. Students at schools that have banned AI will therefore be unable to use Search and will see a message from their school saying the service is unavailable, he said.
Google accounts for roughly 91% of the global search engine market across all devices, according to the source report, making the decision potentially significant for students in the United States.
The announcement has raised questions about whether students should retain access to Google Search when their schools restrict AI, and what effects the policy could have on students, teachers and parents.
Sources: The Guardian Education.