Google Goes Back to School With New AI Study Tools

It’s back-to-school season, and Google is getting in on the academic action. The company announced on Wednesday that a dedicated student hub, featuring a suite of AI study tools, will now be available on its Gemini AI assistant and through Google Search.

The dedicated study hub can be found within Gemini and contains a suite of tools, including a study notebook, customized flash cards and practice quizzes to help with research and assignments.

According to Google, this set of learning tools is meant to act as a virtual study partner.

“By streamlining administrative study tasks or digital clutter, like organizing files and sifting through a screen of open tabs, it means students can spend more time and energy engaging with their class material,” a Google spokesperson told CNET.

Students will be able to ask Gemini to dig into a topic they’re researching and then switch tasks while the tool compiles the information in the background. When the report is finished, Gemini will send a notification and be available to discuss the report’s details and participate in a question-and-answer session to help the student better understand the findings.

Students will also be able to chat conversationally with Google Live regarding multi-step research papers to better understand the topic in question.

Other educational features in Gemini include AI-generated 3D simulations, tables and grids, made after the student enters a specific prompt. A student who’s writing a paper on DNA can enter a prompt like “Show me how DNA works in 3D” and be presented with interactive visuals they can use to explore a DNA model.

Students also can generate simulations using Google Search to better understand complex topics. Science students can search for “pH scale” and see visual results in an interactive AI overview.

Stick with AI Mode in Google Search, and you can ask follow-up questions about the topic in question to dig deeper into a subject.

Customized quizzes can now also be created through Search. Students can enter prompts for subjects ranging from science and math to foreign languages. A student preparing for the SAT could ask, “Create a quiz with the most commonly tested vocabulary words to help me prep for the SATs.” Search will then generate a quiz based on the prompt.

Students can upload files like PDFs, images, docs and more to Search, and the platform can create study documents to keep things organized and easy to follow. You can consolidate scribbled notes, ideas from class or feedback from lectures into one-page reports that outline the bullet points.

Google

Google is offering college students in the US a free year of Google AI Pro, which normally costs $20 per month. The plan includes four times higher usage limits in Gemini, access to Gemini Spark, Gemini features in apps such as Google Docs and Gmail, Google Health Premium and 5TB of storage.

Google is also bundling Google AI Pro with YouTube Premium for up to 70% off. For more information on Google’s student deals, head here.

Google’s announcement of its new AI study tools comes one day after OpenAI launched ChatGPT for Teens, a version focused on younger students’ education. As more AI companies enter the education market, Google’s expansion into AI-powered learning could have a significant impact on the space.

That said, the growing use of AI in education has raised questions about where study help ends and cheating begins.  

In July, Princeton University began proctoring exams after concerns about the proliferation of AI-related cheating. Many schools have implemented tools for AI detection and imparted strict rules on AI use, while wrestling with how to draw the line between limited use for minor tasks and major ones, such as essay writing.

Students seem unlikely to give up AI entirely, and AI companies will continue to encourage it, but schools will continue to face its various challenges.

Aaron is a writer for the streaming entertainment team. Previously, he wrote about TV and movies for places like Rotten Tomatoes, Inverse, TheWrap, Washington Post and The Hollywood Reporter. Aaron is also an actor and played a nerd on TV a lot in the ’90s. Seriously.

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