Why is Google cutting off Search from AI-free schools?
asserted
Google → cut → schools
It's a hub for sharing documents and turning in homework.
asserted
It → share → homework
An announcement this month makes it clear: Google wants AI to be a part of that education ecosystem.
asserted
AI → make → ecosystem
Many parents do not.
asserted
parents → do → ?
"Parents are angry," said Jodi Carreon, a mom in Southern California.
asserted
Carreon → say → California
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.
asserted
she → run → students
Her group is part of the parent-led movement demanding limits on technology in the classroom.
asserted
group → lead → 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.
asserted
Google → include → classroom
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.
asserted
they → want → Search
Even advocates who want less tech in schools know losing the ability to "Google" something will be an issue for teachers.
asserted
losing → want → teachers
In a post on X, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Google is using "its monopoly power to force AI into our public schools," and Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts wrote to Google's CEO demanding the company reverse its policy.
asserted
company → say → policy
A baffling move
Tracy Pizzo worked at Google for more than a decade before leaving the company in 2022.
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Pizzo → work → 2022
Much of her time at the company was focused on education and ethical AI standards.
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Much → focus → education
Google's move this month baffled her, especially coming at a time when young people's use of AI is under such scrutiny.
asserted
use → baffle → scrutiny
She has a theory about why the tech giant is taking this stance: It could be linked to two recent court cases Google fended off in D.C.
Google was sued by big online publishers who said adding AI overview to search negatively affected their business.
uncertain
adding → have → business
The publishers sued under antitrust laws, and their argument hinged on convincing the court that AI Overviews was a separate product from Google Search.
asserted
Overviews → sue → Search
"The judge decided that Search and AI are an integrated product," Pizzo said, and subsequently dismissed the cases.
asserted
Pizzo → decide → cases
"Now if Google were to provide an off switch for schools only … that's evidence that they can be separated.
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they → provide → schools
And that undermines the win they just had in court."
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they → undermine → court
When asked for comment, Google directed NPR to its original announcement, where the company said, "Our goal is simple: provide school leaders the control and confidence to use AI products in classrooms as they see fit."
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they → ask → classrooms
The company did not respond to additional questions by NPR about any connection between its announcement and recent antitrust cases.
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company → respond → announcement
NPR asked antitrust experts about this theory.
asserted
NPR → ask → theory
They weren't entirely convinced, but also didn't dismiss it altogether.
asserted
They → dismiss → it
In any case, Google's AI Overviews doesn't get high marks from some watchdogs.
asserted
Overviews → get → watchdogs
Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that evaluates how teens interact with technology, recently gave the product an "unacceptable risk" rating.
asserted
teens → evaluate → rating
Among other things, Common Sense dinged the tool for unsafe content and citing false information.
asserted
Sense → ding → information
The day after the announcement, Google came under fire for another AI product in schools.
asserted
Google → come → schools
Parents in North Carolina sued the company after Google's chatbot, Gemini, helped their 13-year-old daughter plan her suicide and funeral on her school-issued Chromebook.
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daughter → sue → Chromebook
Even some of Google's longtime partners are surprised by the company's current position, including superintendent Hank Thiele in Illinois.
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some → surprise → Illinois
"It may have caused a lot of damage in the trust that Google has built in education," he said.
uncertain
he → cause → education
Thiele has worked with Google Classroom for almost two decades and says the company has always been a great partner.
asserted
company → work → decades
His district, made up entirely of high school students, is in the process of figuring out AI for its students.
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district → make → students
As an early adopter of tech in the classroom, he wants to be on top of it with AI.
asserted
he → want → AI
He said he thinks the company will listen to people's feedback but they bungled the messaging.
"Google should have just plainly said, 'Our bad,'" Thiele said.
asserted
Thiele → say → bad
The "AI or nothing" approach, as Thiele put it, did not land well.
asserted
Thiele → put → it
Edited by Nirvi Shah and Nicole Cohen
Google is a financial supporter of NPR.
asserted
Google → edit → NPR
The Aporia
