Why NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani is accusing Google of forcing AI into schools

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has accused Google of using its monopoly power to force AI into public schools. His criticism follows a New York Times report that K-12 students at schools blocking Google’s AI tools will also lose access to Google Search. Google says the changes give schools more control, with Gemini and Search off by default and each switchable by school administrators.