New York City to ban generative AI until high school

New York City has banned generative artificial intelligence tools from classrooms through eighth grade for this school year. The city's public school system is the largest in the United States, making this one of the boldest AI policies in the country. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the ban, saying students need time to learn and think on their own before using AI. The rule starts as a one-year pause but could be extended or changed depending on how things go.

The ban came after many parents and advocates pushed hard for action. They asked Mayor Mamdani to put a two-year stop on AI in classrooms. He agreed to a one-year pause and said the city would check on how it's working before deciding what comes next. The mayor held a news conference on Wednesday to explain the decision to the public.

Mayor Mamdani said he believes students need to build important skills without relying on AI. "This moratorium is a commitment to getting the future right," he said. He also explained that kids should learn to think for themselves and figure out how to solve problems. He wants students to know what it feels like to struggle with a question and work through it on their own.

New York City is not alone in pulling back on technology in schools. Los Angeles Unified, the second-largest school district in the country, has already set limits on screen time. Last year, New York Governor Kathy Hochul banned cellphones from public schools across the state. Many other states have taken similar steps to limit phone and screen use among students.

The new rules also include stricter screen-time limits for younger students. Students in third through fifth grade will be recommended to use screens for no more than 30 minutes per day. Students in sixth through eighth grade will have a 45-minute recommended limit. These limits are meant to help younger learners stay focused and avoid too much time on devices.

The city will also disable AI features in more than 38 technology platforms that students have used before. If a program cannot remove its AI features, the school district will stop using that program entirely. This means some tools that students are familiar with may no longer be available in class. The goal is to make sure no student-facing AI slips through the new policy.

High school students will have a different experience under the new plan. The city will test five carefully reviewed AI education programs in some high schools. Students will also take part in two 45-minute lessons about AI literacy. These lessons will teach teens about the risks of AI, bias in AI systems, and how to think about AI in an ethical, or morally responsible, way.