Google turns off AI by default for student accounts: no Google Search without AI, which officials criticise
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- Google says it will turn off Gemini and other tools by default for student accounts from kindergarten to high school.
- School administrators enable them one by one. According to the New York Times, this starts in early 2027.
- The “AI Overviews” and “AI Mode” in Search cannot be turned off separately, and critics have spoken out.
- Google also announced “Guided Learning”, which does not give the answer directly.
In this article
What was announced
According to ITmedia NEWS (4 November), Google announced on 3 November (local time) that, for K-12 student accounts (kindergarten to 12th grade), the generative AI “Gemini”, “Gemini Notebook”, “Gemini in Classroom” and “Google Search” will be off by default, and that school administrators can enable them one by one. Google does not officially give a date; according to the New York Times it would be early 2027, and Google is to give schools the details in the coming months.
The criticism
According to the article, Gemini and the other tools can be enabled separately, but the “AI Overviews” and “AI Mode” built into Search cannot be disabled individually: a school that wants to ban all AI therefore also deprives its students of Google Search. New York’s mayor, Mamdani, accused Google of forcing AI on public schools by using its monopoly power. Chris Phillips, of Google’s education division, explains that search and AI are deeply integrated, and says this widens schools’ choices rather than narrowing them.
A feature announced at the same time
Google also presented “Guided Learning”, a feature that does not give the answer directly but encourages the student to think. In Google Classroom it has been rolling out worldwide since 3 November; in Search, a trial will start in November in some schools in the United States. Its effectiveness could not be verified here.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
Les résumés d’IA de la recherche, eux, ne peuvent pas être coupés séparément, ce qui suscite des critiques.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
02Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon ITmedia NEWS (4 novembre), Google a annoncé le 3 novembre (heure locale) que, pour les comptes d’élèves du K-12 (de la maternelle à la terminale), l’IA générative « Gemini », « Gemini Notebook », « Gemini in Classroom » et la « Recherche Google » seront désactivés par défaut, les administrateurs scolaires pouvant les activer un par un.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
03Pouvoir: ability and possibility
peut / peuvent / pourrait + infinitive
Selon l’article, Gemini et les autres outils peuvent être activés séparément, mais les « Aperçus IA » et le « Mode IA » intégrés à la Recherche ne peuvent pas être désactivés individuellement : une école qui veut interdire toute IA prive donc ses élèves de la Recherche Google.Key pointsPut a base-form verb after pouvoir. Peut means “can” or “may”; the conditional pourrait gives a more reserved possibility, “might”. It does not necessarily mean implementation is settled.
04The passé composé for events
present of avoir + past participle
Google a annoncé le 3 novembre (heure locale) que l’IA générative serait désactivée par défaut pour les comptes d’élèves de la maternelle au lycée.Key pointsIt reports past events, as in “announced” or “explained”. A / ont is the auxiliary avoir and the next word is the past participle. The passé composé alone does not tell you the date of the event.
05The present of être
est / sont + complement
Chris Phillips, de la division éducation de Google, explique que la recherche et l’IA sont profondément intégrées, et affirme que cela élargit les choix des écoles au lieu de les réduire.Key pointsEst is third-person singular and sont third-person plural of être. They express “is / are” — a state or description. If a past participle follows, it is a different structure such as the passive, so check the words that follow.
06The subject relative pronoun qui
noun + qui + verb
Google a aussi présenté « Guided Learning », une fonction qui n’apporte pas directement la réponse mais incite l’élève à réfléchir.Key pointsQui continues a description of the person or thing just mentioned (“the one that does…”). Because qui is itself the subject of the next verb, do not repeat the subject. The verb agrees with the noun qui refers to.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
ITmedia NEWS（4日）によると、米Googleは11月3日（現地時間）に、K-12（幼稚園から高校まで）の生徒向けアカウントについて、生成AI「Gemini」、「Gemini Notebook」、「Gemini in Classroom」、「Google検索」を初期状態でオフにすると発表しました。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Indicating the subject: について
noun + について
ITmedia NEWS（4日）によると、米Googleは11月3日（現地時間）に、K-12（幼稚園から高校まで）の生徒向けアカウントについて、生成AI「Gemini」、「Gemini Notebook」、「Gemini in Classroom」、「Google検索」を初期状態でオフにすると発表しました。Key pointsAs in “予算について”, it shows the topic to be talked about or explained. In the form “〜についての報道”, の is added so that the group qualifies the following noun.
03Cause or purpose with ため
〜ため / 〜ために
そのため、AIを全面的に禁止したい学校では、生徒がGoogle検索も使えなくなります。Key pointsため is used for both reason and purpose. “成立ではないため” is a reason and “運転手を守るため” a purpose. Decide from the whole sentence whether what precedes is a cause or a goal.
04Giving examples with など
noun / expression + など
Googleが11月3日（現地時間）、幼稚園から高校までの生徒向けアカウントで、生成AIなどを初期状態でオフにすると発表しました。Key points“暴言など” gives “abusive language” as one example. It is not necessarily a closed list of only the things named. It also helps when reading the scope of a news story.
05The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
ニューヨーク市のマムダニ市長は、Googleが独占的な力で公立学校にAIを押し付けようとしていると批判しました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
06Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
Googleの教育部門のクリス・フィリップス氏は、検索とAIは深く統合されていると説明し、学校の選択肢を狭めるものではなく広げるものだと反論しています。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.