New York City has announced a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative artificial intelligence (AI) in public schools from 2-K through eighth grade, meaning students will generally not be allowed to use AI tools until they enter high school.
The policy, announced by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, will take effect at the start of the 2026–2027 school year and affects about 600,000 students in the city’s public school system.
Under the new policy, generative AI tools will be prohibited for students in elementary and middle schools as the city seeks to protect human interaction, critical thinking, creativity and hands-on learning among younger children.
Mayor Mamdani said the decision was based on concerns about the impact of AI on children’s developing minds and the need to ensure that students learn to think and solve problems independently.
“We must ask, what helps our children learn? How can we protect their developing minds? And how do we prepare them for a world in which new technologies will be increasingly built into it?” Mamdani said.
He added that children should first develop fundamental learning skills through interaction with teachers and classmates before relying on emerging technologies.
The ban, however, does not mean that New York City schools are rejecting AI altogether.
High school students in grades 9 through 12 will have limited and supervised access to approved AI programmes. The city has approved five pilot programmes, which will be used under teacher supervision and for specific educational purposes.
High school students will also be required to complete two 45-minute AI literacy modules each year covering issues including how AI works, data privacy, bias, misinformation and responsible use.
Students participating in career-readiness programmes may also use certain AI tools under teacher supervision where the technology is relevant to their training.
The policy also provides exceptions for assistive technologies needed by students with disabilities and English Language Learners.
In addition, the city said it would discontinue or disable AI components in more than 38 previously approved educational programmes that do not meet its new safety and oversight standards.
The new policy also introduces limits on individual screen time for younger students, with stricter restrictions for children in the lower grades.
According to the New York City Public Schools, the AI moratorium is intended to last for one year while officials evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the approved programmes and develop recommendations for future AI use in schools.
The city said the policy is designed to strike a balance between protecting younger students from potential risks associated with AI and preparing older students for an increasingly AI-driven workforce.
