New York City Slams the Brakes on AI in Schools, Putting Children’s Learning Before Technology
New York City has instituted a one-year ban on generative artificial intelligence (AI) that students in grades 2 through 8 can use in their classrooms, in order to safeguard learning, human connection and child development.
The policy will be in effect for the 2026-27 school year and impact nearly 600,000 public school students, according to Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels.
The new guidelines will ban generative AI tools and companion chatbots from younger students. The city will also implement age-appropriate guidelines for one-to-one screen time, such as 30 minutes per day for students in grades 3-5 and 45 minutes per day for students in grades 6-8.
High school students will instead be taught twice a year AI literacy lessons on AI risks, bias, ethics, and how AI will affect their future careers. A small number of supervised AI pilots will also be deployed in some high schools.
The policy aims to make sure that technology does not take the place of teachers and students thinking independently, city officials said.
The policy provides for exceptions for assistive technology for students with disabilities and multilingual learners.
Throughout the school year, a Technology in Schools Coalition comprising students, educators, parents and technology experts will assess the policy and make recommendations for future AI use.
The transfer is part of a trend of worries about the rapid advances in technology and its potential impact on children’s learning, critical thinking, creativity and social development.
