NYC schools’ standoff with Google over AI raises prospect of no search in class

Google is locked in a standoff with the nation’s largest public school system as the debate over AI’s place in the classroom pits parent groups against the tech behemoth.

Earlier this week, Google said schools that ban artificial intelligence will lose access to Google search, prompting cries of blackmail and a swift rebuke from Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

“Google is trying to use its monopoly power to force AI into our public schools,” Mamdani wrote on X. “No corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children. Our public schools exist to serve students, not to grow the profit margins of Big Tech.”

In September, Mamdani announced a one-year ban on most AI programs in city schools and tighter limits on screens, especially for the youngest students. The moratorium was a major win for city parents who oppose the use of artificial intelligence in public school classrooms.

But Google’s threat to pull the plug on search in classrooms underscored how deeply the…