Google parent company Alphabet (GOOGL) is cutting off internet search access at schools that refuse to use its artificial intelligence (A.I.) tools in the classroom.
The company said that students in the classroom will not be able to access its online search engine unless their school employs its various A.I. tools.
The threat comes as Alphabet faces growing pushback from educators, child development experts, and parents over the use of A.I. in the classroom.
Critics say that A.I.-enabled search and other tools are giving children and teens the answers without requiring them to learn the subject matter.
For its part, Alphabet is trying to expand use of its Gemini chatbot and Google Classroom features as it looks to monetize A.I. and recoup its investment in the technology.
On Nov. 3, Alphabet said that schools opting out of it’s A.I. tools would also lose access to its widely used Google internet search function.
Access to Google’s A.I. features and Google search will be automatically turned off for K-12 student accounts until “school administrators explicitly turn them on,” said the company in a blog post.
Google is the dominant provider of education technology in schools globally. Worldwide, the company says 150 million students and teachers use its Google Classroom platform.
However, some jurisdictions, such as New York City and Los Angeles, have issued temporary bans on A.I. tools in schools as they assess the technology’s impacts on learning.
GOOGL stock is up less than 1% over the past 12 months and currently trading at $280.03 U.S. per share.
