New York City has implemented a ban on the use of generative artificial intelligence for students in grades 2K through 8, as part of a broader strategy to manage technology in the classroom within the largest school district in the United States.
This one-year ban will impact approximately 600,000 public school students, constituting around two-thirds of the district's overall enrollment. Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed that the initiative entails the discontinuation or disabling of AI features in over 38 previously authorized programs that fail to comply with the new safety and oversight requirements.
Mamdani, alongside New York City Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, announced the new policy aiming to safeguard students' critical thinking skills and enhance the important connections between students and their teachers.
Concerns about technology’s effect on learning and development have led many communities across the country to advocate for stricter regulations regarding screen time and AI usage. In alignment with this movement, AI companies have introduced educational tools and provided funding to support teacher training for AI curriculum development.
Similarly, the Los Angeles Unified School District imposed significant restrictions on classroom screen time this year, and New York state enacted a ban last year on the use of personal phones during school hours. However, officials from Mamdani’s office characterized Wednesday's announcement as the most comprehensive set of AI restrictions seen in American schools.
Previously, in 2023, New York City’s education department prohibited access to ChatGPT on school devices and networks but later revised that decision. With the newly announced policy, a Technology in Schools Coalition, comprising educators, parents, and students, will assess the ban's effects and provide guidance for future academic years.
High school students in New York City will retain access to a limited array of AI tools and will be required to take "AI critical thinking" courses. Meanwhile, all generative AI services, including prominent platforms like ChatGPT and Claude, will be barred for all student grades. The district will also enforce limitations on individual screen time based on the student's grade level, with exceptions made for students with disabilities and English language learners.
While teachers can use AI for lesson planning and other operational duties, they are prohibited from utilizing it for grading or assessing student performance.
Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers based in New York, praised the new limits on screen time and the considerations for special needs students. However, he raised concerns about how the education department will assess the safety of AI tools moving forward, expressing uncertainty about which products will be deemed acceptable for school use.
Samuels recognized the difficulties in preventing students from using AI at home to assist with homework. He emphasized that the policy aims to enhance educators' understanding of managing external AI usage while urging parents to monitor their children's tech activities at home.
Mamdani expressed confidence that the new policy will have positive implications for both students and educators. "The tech industry wants us to accept that AI is essential in early education," he stated during the press conference. "We disagree with that notion."
This report includes contributions from CNN's Katherine Koretski.
