22:31Machine-translated from Azerbaijani by AIRead in Azerbaijani
Google to Keep AI Features Disabled by Default on Student Accounts Starting Next Year
Google will keep artificial intelligence (AI) tools disabled by default on school accounts, with the changes taking effect next year. The decision applies to all student accounts from preschool through 12th grade. If a school bans all AI features, students will also be unable to access Google Search. A message will appear on the screen indicating that the service has been disabled by the school.
School administrators will be able to enable Gemini, NotebookLM, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search separately. In other words, they will not have to activate all the products together. However, it will not be possible to disable AI features in Search while keeping regular search available. Google explains that this is because search and artificial intelligence features are now closely integrated. The company will send schools more detailed information in the coming months. The decision comes after the company enabled some AI features by default in Google Classroom in August. Following objections from teachers, Google reversed its earlier decision. More than 150 million teachers and students worldwide use Google Classroom. Lawmakers also asked the company last month to explain the potential harm that AI products could cause in schools. Alongside the new administrative options, Guided Learning was also made available worldwide to Google Classroom users on the day it was announced. Instead of giving students a ready-made answer, the tool breaks an assignment into stages. It explains the topic step by step and provides short quizzes. Google compares the feature to a teacher working individually with a student.
Guided Learning will also be added to Google Search and AI Overviews on student accounts. When a student enters a question about a physics problem or a book report, the system will not display a direct answer. Instead, it will ask guiding questions that help the student understand the topic. Trials will begin this month at selected schools in the US. Teachers will be able to see students’ conversations with the chatbot. Some regions have already restricted the use of generative AI in schools. In September, New York City imposed a 1-year moratorium in public schools through 8th grade. A similar ban has also been imposed in Los Angeles. Last week, the governor of New York signed a law prohibiting AI companies from making certain chatbot features available to minors. Schools that widely use Chromebooks and Google apps may have to switch to other services if they do not accept the new rules.
School administrators will be able to enable Gemini, NotebookLM, Gemini in Classroom, and Google Search separately. In other words, they will not have to activate all the products together. However, it will not be possible to disable AI features in Search while keeping regular search available. Google explains that this is because search and artificial intelligence features are now closely integrated. The company will send schools more detailed information in the coming months. The decision comes after the company enabled some AI features by default in Google Classroom in August. Following objections from teachers, Google reversed its earlier decision. More than 150 million teachers and students worldwide use Google Classroom. Lawmakers also asked the company last month to explain the potential harm that AI products could cause in schools. Alongside the new administrative options, Guided Learning was also made available worldwide to Google Classroom users on the day it was announced. Instead of giving students a ready-made answer, the tool breaks an assignment into stages. It explains the topic step by step and provides short quizzes. Google compares the feature to a teacher working individually with a student. Guided Learning will also be added to Google Search and AI Overviews on student accounts. When a student enters a question about a physics problem or a book report, the system will not display a direct answer. Instead, it will ask guiding questions that help the student understand the topic. Trials will begin this month at selected schools in the US. Teachers will be able to see students’ conversations with the chatbot. Some regions have already restricted the use of generative AI in schools. In September, New York City imposed a 1-year moratorium in public schools through 8th grade. A similar ban has also been imposed in Los Angeles. Last week, the governor of New York signed a law prohibiting AI companies from making certain chatbot features available to minors. Schools that widely use Chromebooks and Google apps may have to switch to other services if they do not accept the new rules.