Chicago Public Schools is exploring ways to independently suppress Google's AI Overviews or switch to different search solutions to avoid being forced to use generative AI tools. The district's stance follows an announcement from Google that K-12 schools must accept the company's AI services to retain student access to its search engine. Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager for education, stated in early November that Search and AI are now deeply integrated services, meaning students would instead see a message from their school stating services are unavailable if they do not accept the AI integration.
Demonstrators, including parents, educators, and students, recently protested outside Google's Chicago office to voice opposition to the company's approach. Reese Mackey, a junior at Kenwood Academy High School, criticized the technology, stating, "Not by a bot whose only job is to be a yes man and compile random sources from the internet for a nonsensical answer."
Google maintains it is working to improve Search for classroom environments. The company is currently testing a "Guided Learning" feature designed to use AI to guide students through problems step-by-step rather than providing direct answers.
Chicago is part of a broader trend of school districts restricting generative AI. Frederick County's school board voted 6–1 to restrict AI use for students from pre-K through 12th grade, citing concerns over parental notification and the inability to disable tools on student devices. Similarly, New York City has introduced a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI for preschool through eighth grade for the 2026–2027 school year, while Los Angeles has temporarily blocked the tools on student devices across all grades.
