DuckDuckGo is inviting schools to consider its search engine as educators weigh how much artificial intelligence should be built into classroom technology. The move follows Google's announcement that schools will have more control over its AI features.
Google says Gemini, Gemini Notebook and Search will be switched off by default for schools, which can choose whether to enable each service. However, the discussion has also focused on how schools can use Google Search without its increasingly integrated AI functions.
DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg said schools could make the company's search engine their default and offered assistance with the transition. The company's public affairs chief, Kamyl Bazbaz, criticized Google's approach, arguing that schools should have the option to remove AI tools from learning environments.
DuckDuckGo is not opposed to AI: its services include the Duck.ai chat tool and an AI search assistant. It says users can disable AI features in its search engine and browser, or use a version of its site where AI-assisted answers and other AI features are turned off.
Google has also developed Guided Learning, designed to lead students through problem-solving rather than simply provide answers. The debate highlights a broader question for educators: whether AI should be incorporated into lessons, and how much control schools should have over its use.
As schools assess their options, the ability to choose when and how AI appears in learning tools may shape the next generation of digital education.
