Artificial intelligence use has been banned for students up to 8th grade in New York.
Artificial intelligence literacy classes will be held twice a year for senior students.
A one-year ban has been introduced on the use of generative artificial intelligence tools for elementary and middle school students in New York City's public schools. The restriction will affect nearly 600,000 students.
City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the ban covers artificial intelligence programs intended for students up to the 8th grade. The use of nearly 40 educational AI tools currently in use in schools will be halted. The use of chatbots will be prohibited in all grades.
High school students will be exempt from the full ban. They will receive artificial intelligence literacy lessons twice a year. Some students will participate in pilot programs where selected AI platforms are used under teacher supervision.
Teachers will be permitted to use artificial intelligence for administrative tasks such as lesson planning and scheduling.
Additionally, screen time in New York schools will also be limited: up to 30 minutes per day for grades 3–5, and up to 45 minutes for grades 6–8.
Officials attribute the ban to the need to develop children's independent thinking, as well as their face-to-face communication with teachers and peers.
