The update adds tools to verify AI-generated content and enhances ransomware protection and administrative controls for educational organizations.
Google announced new security and artificial intelligence (AI) detection features for Google Workspace for Education that are designed to help educational institutions protect data and manage AI use on the platform.
The update introduces tools that allow schools and administrators to verify whether images and videos were generated or edited by AI, using SynthID, Google’s digital watermark. Administrators also gain new controls related to ransomware detection and mitigation, as well as expanded options for managing who can access Google Meet live streams.
The AI media verification tool operates through the Gemini app, where users can upload media and query whether it was created by AI. Google said it plans to expand verification capabilities to additional media types and models over time.
The ransomware protection feature works with Google Drive for desktop, pausing file syncing if ransomware is detected and allowing users and administrators to restore files to versions prior to infection. The company also noted that a new SecOps integration is available to Education Plus and Education Standard customers, forwarding Workspace activity logs to Google’s SecOps platform to centralize threat telemetry.
In addition, new access controls for Google Meet live stream hosts let administrators restrict viewing to specific users or groups rather than an entire domain. A new opt-in “adaptive” meeting type enables these controls for live streams.
In explaining the changes, Google said the features aim to help educational organizations manage evolving security and AI integrity challenges. “These enhancements empower schools to navigate the future with greater security and confidence,” the company wrote in the announcement.
The features apply to institutions using Google Workspace for Education products, with some controls tied to specific subscription tiers. According to Google, the updates are available following the announcement at the British Educational Training and Technology (Bett) conference.