Google Ties School Search to AI, and Kagi Calls It a Ransom
Education Shouldn't Be Held for Ransom
Google will switch off AI tools by default for K-12 Workspace for Education accounts in early 2027, but because Search and AI are "deeply integrated," Search goes dark too. After backlash, Google said schools could re-enable Search alone, yet AI Overviews remain inseparable from results. Kagi's open letter argues educators deserve real choice: AI off by default, ad-free results, and teacher-controlled filters.
A search engine that arrives only with AI attached isn't offering a choice. It's holding education for ransom.
- SeanAnderson
I haven't felt as concerned about this news article as others.
IME, schools really don't have a good grasp on what AI means in relationship to them and what policies would result in better outcomes.
I work in the ed tech parent-teacher communication space. We offer automatic translations of communication to other languages via Google Translate. Google Translate uses AI. Schools come to us and tell us we need to disable all our AI features. We do. Then they freak out asking where their feature went. We explain. They say they don't want to lose translations they just don't want to deal with "AI stuff"
It's not clear to me if this stance from Google is a new thing. Did they recently add AI to search and are trying to use bundling behaviors to incept AI into areas it wouldn't be? Or did policy recently become rabid against the use of AI without fully appreciating the ask and ramifications? Both?
- danielciocirlan
Education is going to be left in tatters after AIs creep into every facet of (tech-enabled) life.
Big tech doesn’t care about teaching people to think. All the money is in the capture of attention, and AI will only make everything 100x more convenient and a no-brainer (quite literally) to pick the hard way of thought and effort for just about anything… as long as the user is caught. Education has fundamentally the opposite goal.
- alex43578
It’s so funny how schools are consistently 20 years behind on things.
When I was in school, you were restricted from citing sources on the internet (regardless of reputation/quality) and had to look it up in a book instead. Now, apparently, you can’t make school work without searches, but don’t think about using AI.
- ahmedfromtunis
It's ironic that Kagi uses confusion (as to not say deception) to market itself as the more ethical brand.
Google clarified that admins can turn on and off each of the options independently, including search without AI.
I don't like to defend trillion-dollar companies in my free time, but what Kagi is trying to do with this piece is not good.
- paxy
Agree with what they are saying but no school district in America is adding a $10 per month per user subscription to do internet searches.