New York City public schools will temporarily prohibit elementary and middle school students from using generative artificial intelligence tools during the upcoming academic year, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Wednesday.
The city’s office described the one-year pause—which covers “all software that uses student-facing generative AI” for students through eighth grade—as the nation’s most extensive restriction of its kind. The temporary ban forms part of a broader review evaluating how learners in the nation’s largest school district engage with emerging technology.
While younger students face restrictions, the city intends to introduce biannual AI literacy courses for public high schoolers and launch pilot initiatives allowing select high school students to use approved AI tools under teacher supervision. Companion chatbots, however, will be banned across every grade level.
The decision reflects nationwide efforts among parents, educators, and school boards to navigate AI integration in education, balancing digital literacy against concerns over cheating and overreliance.
“Each day when our children come to school, we teach them to ask questions, to challenge assumptions, to interrogate the premise, to ask why. When it comes to AI in our schools, we hold an obligation to do the same,” Mamdani said at a news conference.
Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Unified School District—the country’s second-largest school system—is similarly limiting generative AI access on student devices while officials work to establish a permanent districtwide policy.
LAUSD previously halted school-issued devices for its youngest students in June as part of a sweeping screen-time initiative that capped device usage and blocked platforms like YouTube.
Alongside the AI moratorium, New York City plans to recommend daily screen-time caps of 30 minutes for third through fifth graders and 45 minutes for sixth through eighth graders. Teachers remain permitted to use AI tools for administrative duties and lesson planning.
Additionally, municipal education leaders will evaluate all software tools across the school system to eliminate nonessential technology.
While at least 37 states have issued guidance on classroom AI usage, standard definitions and instructional models remain unaligned nationwide. Last year, New York state implemented a statewide ban on student cellphone use in classrooms.
Reactions to the announcement were mixed. Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, voiced support for the screen-time caps but noted that the city’s overall strategy “leaves many questions unanswered,” specifically regarding how officials will enforce stronger safety guardrails on district-purchased tech products.
Josh Golin, executive director of the children’s advocacy group Fairplay, advocated for a more extended pause and greater lead time prior to implementation.
“A year to evaluate is not nearly enough time,” he said, adding that the responsibility should be on AI platforms “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.”
New York City public school students are set to begin the new school year next week.