Chicago families rally for Google Search without AI on school accounts

Parents, teachers and students rallied outside Google’s Chicago office on November 11 to demand a version of Google Search that schools can offer without generative AI. An education and children’s advocacy coalition held a protest outside Google’s Cambridge, Massachusetts, office the same day. The demonstrations followed Google’s announcement of new controls for student accounts. Schools will be able to decide whether students can use Search, which Google plans to keep integrated with generative AI.

Chicago Public Schools wants students to keep using Google Search with the AI features switched off. A district spokesperson told Chalkbeat and WBEZ that CPS is looking for ways to suppress those features separately. The district said it would consider other search services if it cannot reach an arrangement that preserves Google Search without AI. The district said it has yet to decide how to respond to the change.

Illinois Families for Public Schools and local education groups organized the Chicago demonstration in the West Loop. The organizers scheduled a gathering at a nearby park ahead of a 4 p.m. Central rally and news conference outside Google’s office. Fairplay and Distraction-Free Schools Massachusetts were among the Cambridge organizers. Four Norms, which gathered the local schedules, and the Chicago organizers identified seven participating cities, including New York and Los Angeles.

AI remains available inside Search

Chicago has restricted student access to standalone tools such as Gemini, ChatGPT and Claude. A district spokesperson told WBEZ that CPS limits access to generative AI apps to protect students’ privacy and safety and is looking for a way to suppress the AI Mode already available through Google Search. AI Overviews summarize information on the results page. AI Mode gives users a conversational way to search. That leaves students with a route to generative AI through Search even when the district blocks the Gemini app.

The district’s public toolkit lists Gemini, Microsoft Copilot and Gemini Notebook among its approved products and says approved vendors sign data agreements with CPS. Approval and student access are separate decisions. CPS dropped a broader rollout of Gemini to high school students for the 2026–27 school year. In a copy of the district’s access guidance published by the Chicago organizers, CPS says it shifted to working with individual schools on possible rollouts.

Google plans to test guided search in November

Google said on November 3 that Search, Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Gemini in Classroom will be off by default on K–12 student accounts until a school administrator enables them. WBEZ cited a New York Times interview with Chris Phillips, Google’s education chief, who said schools would lose Search on those accounts if they excluded AI because it is built into the service. The setting therefore governs access to Search itself.

Google also announced a Search pilot for its Guided Learning feature. The company says Search will recognize some kinds of homework questions and guide students through the problem by asking questions and offering hints along the way. Google plans to start with selected U.S. schools later in November and use feedback from educators before expanding. A separate version of Guided Learning already became available globally in Google Classroom on November 3 for activities assigned by teachers. The pilot and the change to student account access follow separate schedules.

The Chicago organizers are also pressing the school board to decide how the district adopts AI. Illinois Families for Public Schools asked board candidates to commit to a three-year pause on generative AI use, a dedicated privacy officer and screen-time limits across grade levels. Cassie Creswell, the group’s executive director, told reporters at the rally that the district needs a formal policy.

In Massachusetts, U.S. Senator Ed Markey wrote to Google CEO Sundar Pichai on November 9. He asked whether Google could keep Search available to school accounts while disabling features including AI Overviews and Guided Learning, and what research the company has conducted on the safety and learning effects for children. His office requested answers by November 30. Google says it will send schools more details before the account changes take effect.