Google Expands Gemini AI Access to Schools and Students Under 18

The decision to extend Gemini AI to minors was announced at ISTE 2025, introducing a suite of classroom-ready features.

At the ISTE 2025 conference, Google confirmed that Gemini AI would become accessible to K-12 students and teachers using Google Classroom and Workspace for Education accounts. For the first time, even minors can interact with Gemini, create and use custom AI agents called "Gems," and access NotebookLM—an AI-powered study tool for research, summarization, and organization. Alongside Gemini’s debut, Google released over 30 new AI-driven features specifically designed for education. These span lesson planning, form and quiz generation, video creation with Google Vids, analytics dashboards for tracking student progress, and Class Tools for Chromebook management. A dedicated Gemini tab in Classroom provides a unified entry point for all these capabilities, simplifying adoption for teachers and administrators.

Teachers can now build and share custom "Gems" to personalize AI support for every classroom context.

One of the most innovative aspects of this rollout is the ability for teachers and administrators to create and deploy custom “Gems”—mini AI agents designed to assist with specific subjects, tasks, or learning styles. Using an intuitive interface, educators define the Gem’s persona, scope, context, and behavior. For example, a science teacher can build a Gem that helps students brainstorm hypotheses, generate quiz questions, or review experiment results. These Gems are shareable across classrooms and even between school districts, supporting collaboration and resource pooling. Popular templates include study partners, brainstorming companions, real-world connectors for applied learning, and vocabulary coaches. Each Gem can be further enhanced by uploading custom documents, class notes, or teaching materials, allowing the AI to ground its responses in contextually relevant data.

NotebookLM and Google Vids bring advanced study support and creative tools to students, with safety and age-appropriate features.

NotebookLM, now accessible for the first time to users under 18, acts as a digital research partner. Students can upload or link source materials, then ask NotebookLM to summarize, create flashcards, generate timelines, or draft study guides based on the actual class content. For audio and visual learners, NotebookLM soon will offer audio overviews and video summaries. Google Vids integrates generative AI video capabilities directly into assignments, making it easier for students to create presentations, explainers, or creative projects. Importantly, all of these tools are delivered with strict, education-grade safety nets: content filtering is stronger for minors, age-appropriate onboarding modules are provided, and all outputs are checked against Google Search for accuracy and reliability.

Google’s rollout emphasizes privacy, compliance, and admin controls to address legal and ethical concerns in education.

Recognizing that student privacy and regulatory compliance are paramount, Google designed Gemini’s school features to exceed the most rigorous standards. No student data is used for model training, and there is no human review of student queries or content. Gemini for Education is fully compliant with laws like FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act), HIPAA, and relevant EU data protection regulations. All AI activities are subject to administrator control through Google Vault (for searching and archiving), detailed usage reporting, and granular access management. For children under 13, parental notifications and controls are provided via Google Family Link, giving parents visibility and the option to disable Gemini access entirely.

Classroom experiences highlight the transformative—and sometimes challenging—impact of Gemini on teaching and learning.

In real-world deployments across districts like Chicago Public Schools, Miami-Dade, and the Ottawa Catholic School Board, Gemini’s AI tools are being used for curriculum review, quiz generation, personalized study guides, special education support, and even administrative grant writing. Teachers report significant time savings in lesson preparation and assessment creation, as well as new opportunities for differentiated instruction and student engagement. Students benefit from more interactive, individualized feedback and access to creative tools that align with diverse learning preferences. However, some educators and parents express concerns about over-reliance on AI, potential erosion of critical thinking skills, and the risk of students using Gemini to shortcut assignments instead of developing foundational skills.

The onboarding process for students and teachers includes AI literacy and safe usage training to build digital resilience.

To support responsible and effective adoption, Google has embedded AI literacy modules—developed in partnership with groups like ConnectSafely and the Family Online Safety Institute—into the onboarding process for all K-12 users. These modules teach students about the strengths, weaknesses, and ethical considerations of AI, emphasizing that Gemini is a tool to support, not replace, human reasoning. First factual queries by minors are automatically fact-checked, and students are encouraged to validate information independently. This approach aims to foster digital resilience and prepare students to use AI thoughtfully as they advance in their academic and professional journeys.

Gemini’s features are likely to evolve rapidly, with ongoing input from educators and international stakeholders.

As Gemini becomes more integrated into the daily routines of schools, it is expected that Google will continue to update and refine its features based on real-world classroom feedback, new research, and changing educational standards. Teachers, school administrators, and education technology specialists worldwide are participating in pilot programs and feedback initiatives, helping Google identify both opportunities and pain points. This close collaboration ensures that the platform can adapt to a wide variety of curricula, regulatory environments, and cultural contexts, while also keeping pace with new developments in AI safety and pedagogical research. The dynamic between AI developers and the education community is becoming more direct, signaling a future where education technology is not simply adopted, but co-designed by its users.

International adoption and localization efforts will play a critical role in shaping the future of Gemini in education.

As Gemini AI tools become available in more regions and languages, Google is investing heavily in localization, translation, and alignment with local educational standards. This is especially important in multilingual or diverse countries, where equitable access depends on the platform’s ability to understand and respect linguistic, cultural, and curricular differences. In Europe, Latin America, and Asia, local pilot programs are adapting Gems and AI-powered study tools to match unique student needs and regulatory frameworks. This process includes developing localized content filters, working with local educators to create region-specific onboarding materials, and ensuring that Gemini can provide relevant, accurate, and context-sensitive support regardless of geography.

The broader educational ecosystem is watching closely as Gemini sets new expectations for AI in schools.

The introduction of Gemini to K-12 education has implications that reach far beyond Google’s immediate ecosystem. Competing platforms—whether from Microsoft, OpenAI, or smaller edtech companies—are being pressured to raise their standards for safety, transparency, and classroom relevance. Policymakers, educational researchers, and parent associations are closely monitoring the rollout, recognizing both the opportunities and the need for vigilance. As AI becomes a fundamental part of students’ learning journeys, the boundaries between traditional teaching, digital tools, and personal agency will continue to blur, creating new challenges and possibilities for everyone involved in education.

_______

FOLLOW US FOR MORE.

DATA STUDIOS

datastudios.org