Google announced Tuesday morning that it would switch off AI products by default for students in schools that use the technology giant’s education software. But those schools that forgo its AI services would also be cut off from Google Search.
The move comes after mounting criticism from advocacy groups and senators about the spread of Google’s AI services available in classrooms. Until Tuesday, its AI products — branded under the Gemini moniker — were automatically activated for schools using Google Classroom.
Google said Tuesday’s move would also cut off students’ access to Google Search if schools do not enable Gemini, given AI’s growing integration into the company’s search products.
They’ll find out soon that there are other search engines out there.
Good - you’ll be doing those kids a favor. And there’s certainly more and better search engines out there. Google can go outside and play hide and go fuck itself.
Gemini suuuuucks. It’s barely better than copilot. You’d think Google, of all companies, would have seemless integration with their main apps, like maps or Google search, but they don’t.
They’ve copied the hamfisted shoehorning of Microslop and are just trying to force people to use a shitty product they don’t want.
Hey Google, did it ever occur to you that people will leave your ass over forced AI? I’m on GraphneOS now, out of Google Drive, and I’d like to be even further from Google.
You’re one of the few. If I ask 10 people out on the street what they use, it’s Google. I’d sooner find a vegan than even a duckduckgo user. Also, veganism didn’t change the world either, meat industry going strong. This thinking isn’t helping your cause, you need to consider what would actually change things.
This thinking isn’t helping your cause
What thinking are you referring to, from the comment to which you’re responding?
The meat industry is not just “going strong”. Tge meat industry owns the vegan industrie. Every major vegan brand is owned by a major meat company.
Exactly… that’s why I think this commentary “I vote with my wallet” is tiresome. I think we are long past that as something that can be weaponized against corps who are basically as powerful as the government now.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do the right thing.
you can’t tell me, anywhere in that comment, I said “stop voting with your wallet”? Is that all you got from that? How about this: once upon a time, we used to shut down a local cafe who made a racist/homophobic comment by not buying their food. Now, we have a big corporation everyone uses. Sure, keep telling everyone to choose an alternative, but this will never, ever, EVER be enough for Google to care because for every 1 new convert to Mailbox.org you make (generous), there’s 2 people in India, Thailand, Nigeria, who just made a gmail. Why do you think they care they lost you? This is never going to be enough. Do you also send complaint letters to Google? If no, why not? It’s about as powerful as you switching to Proton.
Doomerism is a gross look. I don’t really engage with it, so if that continues, this conversation is over. It’s a boundary for me.
Anyway, I will say this once: I have a cleaner conscience and sleep better at night by doing the right thing. It makes a difference, too, even if it’s small.
hah, do it
Seriously - do you want an entire generation who knows hos to live without Google search? Because that’s how you get an entire generation that knows alternatives to Google. This is a huge opportunity for the likes of Bing, DuckDuckGo, StartPage, etc…
Oh no! Now students will have to… checks notes … use a good search engine.
I grew up in the wild west days, and we were explicitly told never to just trust one search engine and to try a couple and pay attention to differences…
Like, Google is seriously shooting themselves in the foot here, and we need to understand the reason they’re willing to do this, is getting kids hooked on AI means they’re always going to need AI.
It legitimately changes how brains work, and shoving it down k-12’s throat in school is doing a lot of damage
I see this as a win. They’ll learn how to research the manual way.
I know Google’s competition has a tiny percentage of their market share, but do they really think people won’t find the competition if they have a good enough reason?
The stupider children are, the easier it is to brainwash them. This is what religion has been doing for decades. Intelligent Humans are a danger to con men.
Just note that online life is so embedded in everyone, including your life, that taking away google search from a kid is like taking away transport that isn’t horse, just for the 21st century. Like wouldn’t it be funny if a company said that they won’t sell you a car you liked/could afford because you didnt want AI in it? You can’t board this bus because there’s an AI security bot in it? That’s what’s going to happen with this precedent. Be careful what you celebrate.
Thats some balls. Was that really a threat? Your offering services to students and got hurt when they don’t want to be forced into using something they never wanted and something that will just give the company more info on them.
I kind of love when they get to this size, because this is where the things come out that contradict who they say they are and you really get to see what they care about. I just hope people see this and find new tools to use.
Honestly, I support this
Edit: This wasn’t meant to be as creepy as I now see it is given the context of the article, but was meant to be aimed towards Google ruining their business model, which I welcome. I love watching them ruin their business by trying to force AI into everything to compete with OpenAI or Anthropic. Screw Google, I hope they fall from grace hard.
