New York City is banning younger students from using generative artificial intelligence in public schools as part of new rules aimed at protecting children’s learning and development.
The one-year ban will apply to students from 2-K through eighth grade during the 2026-27 school year. It will affect nearly 600,000 students.
The new policy was announced by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels on Wednesday, September 2.
Under the rules, software that provides students with generative AI features will not be allowed through eighth grade. AI companion chatbots will also be banned for students across all grades.
Mayor Mamdani said:
“Children need teachers and human connection in order to learn and grow. They need to develop skills alongside their peers, build relationships with educators and wrestle with tough problems on their own,”
He added:
“The tech industry wants us to believe that A.I.-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary. We do not see it that way.”
AI will not completely disappear from New York City schools.
High school students in grades nine through 12 will have limited access to approved AI programs. Up to 50,000 high school students will be able to take part in five AI pilot programmes under the supervision of trained teachers.
All high school students will also complete two 45-minute AI literacy lessons each year. The lessons will cover how AI works, its risks, bias, privacy, ethics and its possible impact on future careers.
Teachers will still be allowed to use approved AI tools for tasks such as lesson planning and other work. However, the original report says teachers will not be allowed to use AI to grade students’ assignments.
The city is also introducing new recommendations for how much time younger students spend on screens.
Students in second grade and below will have restrictions on individual screen use. Those in grades three to five should have no more than 30 minutes of individual screen time each day, while students in grades six to eight should have no more than 45 minutes.
The move follows concerns from some parents and teachers about children becoming too dependent on AI instead of developing their own thinking skills.
New York City previously banned students from using ChatGPT in 2023, but that restriction was reversed less than a year later.
The new AI moratorium will remain in place for the 2026-27 school year while officials study its effects and decide what rules should apply in the future.
