After senators and city leaders pushed back, Google makes Gemini and AI Search opt-in for K-12 accounts worldwide, starting in the US, with no date set yet.

SAN FRANCISCO (United States): Google has said it will switch off its AI tools for schoolchildren by default, after drawing criticism for pushing artificial intelligence features to students while schools are still debating how the technology should be used in classrooms.

The search engine juggernaut dominates technology in American schools. Its education apps, including Gmail, Docs and the Classroom platform, are used in classrooms across the country, and its low-cost Chromebook laptops are the devices US schools most often issue to students.