Google, OpenAI Deepen AI Footprint in Education

Google is pushing its Gemini AI tools directly into school email, documents and classrooms, while OpenAI is pitching governments on AI as national education infrastructure, marking a deeper shift in how public education systems rely on private technology platforms.

Google said this week it will make select Gemini features available at no additional cost across core Google Workspace for Education editions, bringing AI-assisted writing, summarization, data analysis and content creation directly into Gmail, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms and video creation tools used by millions of educators and students.

For schools using Education Fundamentals, Gemini features will begin appearing in Gmail, enabling users to draft emails, summarize long threads, and generate suggested replies. Higher-tier editions such as Education Plus and the Teaching and Learning add-on will see broader integrations, including AI-assisted document drafting, slide creation, form analysis, video generation from text prompts, and custom data functions in spreadsheets.

The rollout will begin in phases over the coming weeks and months, restricted to users aged 18 and above. Google said administrators will soon get finer controls, allowing them to enable Gemini in specific apps while blocking it in others, a tacit acknowledgement of concerns around classroom use, data exposure, and over-reliance on AI-generated content.

Alongside these Workspace updates, Google is also expanding Gemini’s role in test preparation and literacy support. CEO Sundar Pichai said students can now take full-length SAT practice tests for free through the Gemini app, using content vetted by The Princeton Review, with instant feedback. 

“Helpful update for students, you can now take full practice SATs for free in the @GeminiApp,” he shared on X.

The company also announced a partnership with Khan Academy, starting with a Gemini-powered Writing Coach tool designed to guide students through outlining, drafting, and refining ideas, without generating final answers.

OpenAI Courts Government

At the same time, OpenAI is taking a more government-facing approach. The company has launched “Education for Countries” as a new pillar under its OpenAI for Countries initiative, positioning AI as a national education infrastructure rather than a classroom add-on.

The program targets ministries of education, university consortia, and public research institutions, offering access to tools such as ChatGPT Edu, GPT-5.2, study mode, and collaborative canvas features. According to OpenAI, these systems can be customised to local curricula and workforce priorities, while also reducing administrative workloads for educators.

Beyond tools, the initiative includes large-scale research partnerships to measure how AI affects learning outcomes and teacher productivity, as well as certification and training programs for educators and students. OpenAI says it is building a global network of governments and academic partners to share lessons and shape what it calls “responsible” AI deployment in education.

The first cohort includes Estonia, Greece, Italy’s Conference of University Rectors, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Trinidad and Tobago, and the UAE. Estonia has already rolled out ChatGPT Edu nationwide across public universities and secondary schools, reaching over 30,000 students and educators. Long-term studies, including a collaboration with the University of Tartu and Stanford University, are tracking learning outcomes among 20,000 students over time.

OpenAI says most national rollouts begin with educators, before expanding to students through controlled pilots—particularly at the high school level. The company is also working on age-appropriate safeguards and AI literacy content in partnership with organisations such as Common Sense Media.

Education leaders involved in these programs stress that AI is not being positioned as a replacement for teaching. “We believe AI in education should strengthen how students learn, not just what they know,” said Ivo Visak, CEO of Estonia’s AI Leap initiative, which underpins the country’s nationwide deployment.

Taken together, Google’s product-led expansion and OpenAI’s policy-driven partnerships point to a common direction: AI is becoming embedded in how education systems operate, not just how students study.