Zohran Mamdani, who was elected mayor of New York City in January 2026, has spoken out to criticize a Google feature that automatically integrates AI-generated results into its search engine. The mayor is concerned because the feature cannot be turned off by school administrators, forcing educators who want to give their students an AI-free experience to abandon Google search completely.
AI overviews appear as the top result of many Google searches, and is often criticized for being inaccurate and unreliable. But what exactly are AI overviews? Botify explains, “Google AI Overviews are an organic Google SERP feature providing AI-generated summaries in response to a consumer’s search query. They appear at the very top of the results page in “position zero,” and can sometimes be followed by a carousel of AI Overview Ads when the query has a commercial intent.”
What Did Mamdani Say About Google AI Search in Schools?
In a November 4, 2026 report, Gadget Review pointed out that Google plans to completely block access to Search on student accounts that block Gemini in early 2027. Gemini refers to Google’s family of multimodal generative AI models, consumer chatbot, and digital assistant.
The outlet says the edict is a part of Google’s new K-12 policy, which has drawn “sharp criticism from elected officials, a former federal regulator, and education advocates.”
Mayor Mamdani is one of the policy’s most visible critics. He wrote in an X post on November 3, “Google is trying to use its monopoly power to force AI into our public schools. No corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children. Our public schools exist to serve students, not to grow the profit margins of Big Tech.”
Former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan added her voice, writing on the same app, “Google is using its search monopoly to coerce schools into adopting AI. This highlights the danger of allowing an unregulated monopolist to control an essential service. Multiple courts have found Google liable for violating antitrust laws, and this latest move shows it remains unchastened. As the public increasingly pushes back against the use of AI in schools, Google is making clear it will punish those who don’t fall in line.”
Chicago Public Schools Push Back Against Google’s AI Search Policy
Techspot reported on November 12 that Chicago Public Schools officials are determined to find a different search solution, rather than accept Google AI mandate.
The district recently blocked student access to generative AI tools such as Gemini, the report notes, and a spokesperson said the schools were “actively exploring all options to independently suppress” the AI overviews that frequently top Google searches.
Protesters have been seen speaking out against the decision outside Google’s office in Chicago’s West Loop, the piece says.
So what exactly is the problem with school students accessing generative AI search results? Wired cites an administrator who explained, “Students need opportunities to navigate search results, examine sources, and draw their own conclusions rather than being handed an AI-generated synthesis before they’ve even started.”
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Says Students Should Have Access to AI-Free Google Searches