Google criticized by NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani following AI policy change: 'Google is trying to use its monopoly power to force AI into our public schools'

Saying that it believes "schools should have control over AI in their classrooms," Google announced today that it will turn off access to its AI tools for K-12 student accounts. But there's a catch: Along with those AI tools, it will also disable Google search functionality. In a blog post entitled " Designing responsible AI for learning ," Chris Phillips, Google's vice president and general manager of education, extolled the virtues of AI tools in "productive struggle," which he described as "enabling students to be actively challenged without getting so overwhelmed that they give up." "That's the philosophy behind Guided…