Last Tuesday, OpenAI rolled out Study Mode for ChatGPT, promising to transform its chatbot from an "answer machine" into a patient tutor. Eight days later, here's Google with Guided Learning, which—you guessed it—promises to help users "build a deep understanding instead of just getting answers."
Key Points
- Guided Learning in Gemini uses LearnLM to offer scaffolded, multimodal learning—questions, visuals, quizzes—guided by learning science.
- Google is also offering a free year of Gemini 2.5 Pro for students in key countries, matching OpenAI’s education push.
- Students can easily switch back to getting direct answers
Both features work essentially the same way: they use Socratic-style questioning, break down complex problems step-by-step, and adapt to individual learning speeds. They'll both quiz you, provide visual aids, and gently nudge you toward understanding rather than just spitting out solutions.
Google's been laying the groundwork for this since 2022, when it established a cross-disciplinary team of AI experts, neuroscientists, and cognitive scientists to develop LearnLM. This isn't some hasty response to OpenAI—it's the culmination of years of research that Google's been somewhat quietly working on.
LearnLM, now infused into Gemini 2.5, represents Google's latest effort across DeepMind, Google Research, and product teams to ground AI in actual educational research. The company worked with educators, pedagogical experts, and students to design something that goes beyond the typical "type question, get answer" dynamic that's made AI both beloved and feared in classrooms.
The feature provides "rich, multimodal responses—including images, diagrams, videos and interactive quizzes" that focus on the learning process rather than just delivering answers. Whether you're cramming for an enzyme exam or starting that paper on bee populations you've been putting off, Guided Learning positions itself as a "collaborative thinking partner."
This isn't happening in isolation. Khan Academy's Khanmigo, available free to all U.S. teachers, has been doing the Socratic tutoring thing for over a year. The nonprofit's AI tutor is already reaching roughly 65,000 students and expanding for the next school year. Unlike the tech giants' offerings, Khanmigo was built specifically for education from the ground up, complete with teacher tools and integration with Khan Academy's massive content library.
Google claims that in head-to-head testing, educators and experts preferred Gemini 2.5 Pro over other models for its pedagogy and effectiveness across diverse learning scenarios. But let's be real—these comparisons are about as objective as asking Pepsi and Coke to judge their own taste tests.
Both companies are positioning these tools as democratizing forces in education. Google says Guided Learning represents "an important step in our path to helping everyone in the world learn anything in the world." OpenAI talks about closing gaps between those with access to expensive human tutors and everyone else.
For educators caught in the middle of this AI arms race however, the rapid proliferation of these tools presents both opportunity and chaos. Many educators may not yet feel adequately trained to integrate AI into their teaching practices. Now they've got multiple AI tutors to choose from, each with different capabilities, limitations, and corporate philosophies behind them.
The elephant in the classroom remains the same for both platforms: these tools are entirely optional. Students can easily switch back to regular ChatGPT or standard Gemini whenever they want direct answers.
Google's created a dedicated link that educators can post directly in Google Classroom or share with students, clearly hoping to leverage its existing education infrastructure advantage. But without any way to mandate its use or prevent students from switching modes, it's more suggestion than solution.
The real winners here might be the students savvy enough to game all these systems simultaneously. Need help understanding a concept? Ask Guided Learning. Want to check your work? Try Study Mode. Still confused? There's always Khanmigo. And when all else fails, you can still get regular Gemini or ChatGPT to just give you the answer—because at the end of the day, that option never really goes away.