New York City is set to impose a one-year pause on the use of generative artificial intelligence by students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, affecting roughly 600,000 children across the city’s public school system.
The new policy is expected to take effect during the 2026–2027 academic year, with officials saying the city will use the coming year to study the impact of artificial intelligence on young students and determine how the technology should be used in schools.
The restriction covers student-facing AI tools, including generative AI chatbots and AI tutors. High school students, beginning in ninth grade, will still be permitted to use AI in limited circumstances, including learning about the technology itself and preparing for future careers.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city was implementing a moratorium on generative AI for younger students while officials assess its effects.
The decision comes amid growing concerns among parents and educators about the impact of AI on children's learning, independent thinking and classroom engagement. Thousands of parents have reportedly pushed for tighter restrictions on AI and screen use in schools.
The new policy represents a significant change from the approach adopted earlier in the year. In March, New York City Public Schools released an AI framework that allowed students to use artificial intelligence for activities such as research, exploration and creative projects, provided educators offered guidance and students critically evaluated AI-generated information.
That framework attracted criticism from some parents and teachers who considered the rules too permissive. Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels subsequently acknowledged concerns and began developing a more comprehensive approach to AI use in the city's schools.
The new restrictions also include limits on classroom screen time. Students in middle school, covering sixth through eighth grades, are expected to face a recommended limit of about 45 minutes of screen use during lessons, while elementary pupils would have a lower limit of about 30 minutes.
There will, however, be exceptions to the AI restrictions. Assistive technology for students with disabilities and English-language learners will remain permitted, while certain activities such as coding, robotics, e-books and computer-based assessments will also be allowed.
Teachers will still be allowed to use AI for some tasks, including lesson planning, selected communications and translation. However, AI will not be permitted to make decisions concerning student grades, discipline, promotion, graduation or special education plans.
The policy comes as debate over AI in education intensifies across the United States. Supporters argue that students need to understand and learn how to use a technology that is increasingly becoming part of everyday life, while critics say unrestricted access could encourage students to outsource essential thinking and writing skills to machines.
New York City officials have indicated that the moratorium will give educators, parents and policymakers time to examine those competing concerns before establishing a longer-term policy.
The city's earlier AI guidance had emphasised that technology should support rather than replace educators and student learning. The official framework also prohibits AI from making important decisions about students and requires human oversight when approved AI tools are used.
The latest move means that, beginning with the new school year, most younger students in the nation's largest public school system will have significantly less direct access to generative AI in the classroom.
Officials are expected to continue consulting teachers, parents, students and education experts as they assess the effects of the policy and develop a more permanent framework for artificial intelligence in New York City schools.
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