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- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
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.
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Bye Felicia. Plenty of other search engines out there.
Bing has entered the chat. GoDuckGo has entered the chat.
Here’s what really happened:
“Later on Tuesday, after significant backlash to the announcement, Google said its policy would allow schools to enable the Search service alone, without turning on access to additional Gemini products. But schools would still not be able to use Search without certain AI features like AI-generated summaries, given AI’s growing integration into the company’s search functionality.”
Force install a plug in on all the school browsers that auto put a no Ai flag on the search query?
I mean. Cool.
I love this for the schools.
Also… remember this when google pushes “protecting the children” when it pushes for Id verification laws….
They’ll find out soon that there are other search engines out there.
That’s easy to say, but the reality is a bit muddier. I mean I’ve been using duck duck go for maybe six months now and you know what, I have a really hard time finding what I’m looking for. That said, Google is only a little bit better. I really don’t feel like any search engine I’ve used recently works really well.
And finally, nothing works as well at 2016 google search, that was probably peak web search.
I personally find DDG much better than Google and have been using it for about 5 years.
However, this year I took the bite and moved to Kagi and OMG what a difference. It is by far the best! I can’t go back now.
Kind of a tangent, but why am I being served ads for DuckDuckGos privacy focused AI? Where is the ad money coming from, how are they making money on this service enough to warrant an ad budget without stealing my data? Seems fishy.
If I recall correctly, and I might not so feel free to correct me, they basically sell ads at a discount relative to data miners like Google. They can’t target as well, so they don’t get to collect that premium, but they can still sell ads targeted at your search keywords.
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.
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.
I see they’re well into the “Are we out of touch? No it’s our customers that are wrong” stage.
They know exactly what they’re doing.
Google search is too embedded in most things for schools to forego it. They’re strong arming the schools to use AI, while giving the illusion of choice
Why would google search be embedded? Like change the bookmark to ddg and you’re done right?
do Chromebooks even allow changing the homepage? also many schools use search “by Google” for searching their websites.
Google Workspace/Education tools might be, but search is a commodity now and Google’s is terrible now.
But yeah, I still think you’re right upon reflection.
Honestly, I support this
I see this as a win. They’ll learn how to research the manual way.
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.
taking away google search from a kid is like taking away transport that isn’t horse, just for the 21st century.
Bullshit.
Plenty of other search engines (such as Duck Duck Go) are sitting right there, waiting to go. It’s debatable whether they’re quite as good as Google’s search … but they’re good enough for 99% of what you need, at least.
To fix your analogy, this is like taking away transport that isn’t a Tesla. Plenty of ways to get around without getting into a Tesla.
Of course, they are probably going to use something like duckduckgo - I am glad at least in 2026, search engines are still not monopolized. This is not the point.
I am still concerned of this precedent being set “we will punish you from everyday life if you choose to opt out”. For now we have Toyotas, and Fords, and BMWs. We have Lemmy as an alternative to the Reddit monopoly. In 50 yrs, the biggest companies will get eaten up, bought out, or become an illusion of an “independent company”, say how Hummer is now owned by GMC. One day duckduckgo will either shut down or be forced to be bought out by Bing. Starting your own becomes prohibitively expensive, and I dont refer to having a team building your search engine itself I am talking legal, red tape. Can you believe in almost 30 yrs, I cant have an open source linux mobile phone that passes cryptography checks required for banking apps? In this phone monopoly, when we lose a new personal right every month? Are you gonna tell me “just go into the branch in person bro”? For how long is that building going to be there?
To use another analogy, you’re pleased you have a packet of 100 bandaids to fix an open wound when we are actually hemorrhaging on the inside. We should not see the school to use a non-AI search engine as the end of the story, that’s bad strategy. Need to look whats NEXT from here
say how Hummer is now owned by GMC
lol, that’s a particularly lame example, though. Hummer was always owned by GM (GMC’s parent company), from the very first Hummer that ever rolled off an assembly line. (Okay, actually, there was a space of a few years there after the 2008 recession where the Hummer brand was actually owned by a Chinese company, before GM bought it back.)
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.
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.
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
That is what google et al want though, they want zombies, they do not want free thinkers. None of this is by accident, and the userbase/population is so large now that they are unlikely to fail in creating dystopia. The very wrong people are in charge.
I legitimately don’t know how you read my comment and missed that it implied everything you “added” already…
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.
Only a small percentage of people are willing to think and put some effort in, the zombie population continues to grow. That is one of the reasons why large corporations hardly even bother with customer service any more, customers are now expendable, every one that leaves, is immediately replaced with another.
Yeah, but what’s the longest you’ve let a gym membership run without actually going to the gym?
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.
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.
Every major processed plant based brand in the usa is no doubt owned by corpse lords, but they don’t own food itself… although monsanto has been trying to do just that for decades.
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.
That is a terrible attitude, apathy is evils best friend.
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 you make, 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.
