Chicago parents protest Google's AI school policy
Chicago parents concerned about AI will join activists across the nation Wednesday to protest "Big tech bullies in our schools" at local Google headquarters. What happened: Google set off a firestorm — and then partially backtracked — last week when it announced it would take away Google search from any school that opts out of its artificial intelligence products like Gemini. Why it matters: CPS, like many districts, has integrated Google technology deeply into its infrastructure. And the move appeared aimed at leveraging that dependence. The blowback: "Google is using its search monopoly to coerce schools into adopting AI," former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan said on social media. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) called it "extortion" and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said "no corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children." The upshot: In the wake of the backlash, Google retreated on the Gemini part, but it still won't shut off generative AI Overviews on its school version of Google search. Schools must take the generative AI version or no Google search at all. What they're saying: "It's fundamentally problematic that a for-profit company is dictating the terms of how technology is operating
