NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Wednesday that New York City public schools will implement a temporary ban on generative artificial intelligence tools for elementary and middle school students for the upcoming academic year. The policy, which officials describe as the most expansive prohibition of its kind in the United States, will affect roughly 600,000 students through the eighth grade.
The one-year moratorium aims to provide city officials the necessary time to study the impact of AI on child development and academic integrity. The directive effectively halts the use of approximately 40 educational AI tools currently integrated into classroom curriculums, while companion chatbots will be prohibited across all grade levels district-wide.
“Children need teachers and human connection in order to learn and grow,” Mayor Mamdani said in a statement. “They need to develop skills alongside their peers, build relationships with educators, and wrestle with tough problems on their own.” He added that the administration views the policy as an extension of the district’s core mission to teach students to “interrogate the premise” and challenge technological assumptions.
While younger students face strict limitations, the city has carved out a different path for older pupils. High school students remain exempt from the full ban. Instead, the city plans to roll out twice-yearly AI literacy courses for high schoolers and launch pilot programs that allow for the use of select, vetted AI platforms under the direct supervision of instructors. Additionally, teachers district-wide will retain access to AI for administrative tasks, including lesson planning and scheduling.
The move comes as districts nationwide grapple with the rapid rise of generative technology. Los Angeles Unified, the nation’s second-largest district, has implemented a similar temporary block while it develops a formal long-term policy.
New York’s initiative is part of a broader crackdown on classroom technology. The plan introduces recommended screen-time caps: 30 minutes daily for students in grades three through five, and 45 minutes for those in grades six through eight. The Department of Education will also conduct a citywide audit to eliminate educational software deemed nonessential to core learning.
The announcement has drawn a mixed response from educators and advocacy groups. Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, praised the move toward screen-time limits but noted that the policy “leaves many questions unanswered,” particularly regarding how the city will audit AI tools for adequate safety and data protection.
Meanwhile, some advocates argue the city’s pause does not go far enough. Josh Golin, executive director of the children’s advocacy group Fairplay, suggested that a single year is insufficient to properly evaluate the dangers posed by these platforms.
“AI platforms should have to demonstrate that their products are effective at teaching kids, that they’re safe, that they’re not displacing face-to-face interaction and that they’re not leading to rampant cheating,” Golin said.
As the city’s one million public school students prepare to return to classrooms next week, the debate over the future of the digital classroom remains far from settled.
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