Google shouldn’t be pressuring schools to use its AI
New Scientist · Jacob Aron ·
Google has said schools can’t have access to its search engine without AI, even in schools where AI use is being banned. Columnist Jacob Aron says the tech giant shouldn’t be dictating education policy in this way
Should children use AI in school?
When I was at school, a new technology launched in the form of a magic box that could answer any question you wanted. It was called Google, and my teachers cautioned that we shouldn’t trust everything it spat out, because anyone could put anything on the internet. Three decades later, history is repeating – with a twist. Schools are now begging Google to allow students to access its search engine, but the tech giant says that is only possible if teachers also accept a new kind of magic box, AI.
Google is far more integrated into education than it was in my day, with its Classroom and Workspace products providing teachers and students with a range of tools from email to lesson planning. More recently, Google has incorporated its Gemini AI chatbot into Classroom, to the chagrin of some US school districts that want to be able to decide whether or not students have access to AI. Sure, said Google, you can switch off AI, but then you lose search. “Search and AI are deeply integrated,” Google’s Chris Phillips told The New York Times.
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