New York City’s school district, the largest in the US, is banning elementary and middle school students from using AI tools for schoolwork for one academic year, in what Reuters says is the most extensive ban of its kind in the country.
The measure, announced by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, affects around 600,000 students and covers generative AI software used directly by students. The school district is expected to stop using around 40 educational tools as part of a broader review of technology in public schools. Teachers will still be allowed to use AI for lesson planning and administrative tasks.
Teachers will still be able to use AI for tasks such as lesson planning.
The policy is not a blanket ban on AI. High schools will hold AI literacy lessons twice a year, while pilot programmes will allow some students to use selected platforms under teacher supervision. Companion chatbots, however, will be banned across all grade levels.
“Children need teachers and human interaction to learn and grow. They need to develop skills alongside their peers, build relationships with their teachers and work through difficult problems on their own,” Mamdani said at a press conference.
The decision comes as other school districts across the country are also reviewing their use of AI. Los Angeles has temporarily blocked generative AI tools on student devices across all grade levels, while at least 37 states have already issued official guidelines on the use of AI in education.
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press
