A September 30, 2026 investigation into Google AI in schools reported that Pennsylvania eighth-grader Richard Scott used AI-assisted Google Search for algebra and other assignments. Scott also described difficulty thinking during a test without the tool.
One student's experience with AI-assisted Search
Scott said using AI-assisted Search for schoolwork slowed his thinking and that it was hard to think through a test when he could not use the tool. His account describes one student's experience with AI in schoolwork.
What Google's Classroom tools are designed to do
Google says its education AI is intended to support educators and help learners build understanding. The teacher-facing workflows Google describes for Gemini in Google Classroom include planning lessons, adapting reading material to different levels, creating rubrics and drafting communications for parents.
A screen-recorded walkthrough shows the Gemini tab in Google Classroom and prompts for teacher tasks such as lesson planning, adapting text, creating rubrics and drafting parent emails.
How schools manage access to Google services
For eligible U.S. K–12 Google Workspace for Education accounts, Gemini app and Gemini Notebook are included at no additional charge. Google says school administrators can manage access to these services, and age-related safeguards apply. Google also describes administrator controls for Gemini in Classroom.
What Google's educator survey measured
Google's free, two-hour, self-paced course is designed for middle- and high-school educators. In an October 2024 survey of U.S. course graduates, 83% expected generative AI tools to save them at least two hours a week. The survey also found that 74% reported confidence using AI in the classroom after the course, compared with 42% reporting confidence before it. The time-saving figure is an expectation; the confidence figures are self-reported.
