New York City bans AI use in public schools up to eighth grade

New York City bans students from using artificial intelligence (AI) in public schools up to eighth grade; typically covering children aged 13 or 14, as part of a sweeping overhaul of technology use in the United States’ largest school district.

The ban, announced on Wednesday (2 September), will take effect next week. It will allow AI use only in high school, beginning in ninth grade, and even then only for specific purposes, including learning about the technology itself.

The move follows growing concerns among teachers and parents about the impact of AI instructional software on children’s mental health and cognitive development, including fears that students may increasingly rely on software instead of developing their own reasoning skills.

Read More

List of countries that have pulled gold from US Federal Reserve

Researchers have described such dependence as “cognitive surrender”.

The new rules also ban AI “companion chatbots” that offer psychological support. Teachers may use AI for tasks such as preparing lessons and writing messages, but will not be allowed to use it to grade assignments.

The policy is part of a broader technology overhaul in the city’s public schools, which serve roughly 900,000 students. Under another change, students will not use laptops or tablets in classrooms through third grade, typically until age nine or 10.

The city’s Education Department recommends limiting classroom screen time to 45 minutes for middle school students in sixth through eighth grades and 30 minutes for elementary school students. However, monitoring AI use could prove difficult as students may access such tools outside school.

The new rules follow an initial AI framework issued in March that used a traffic-light system to determine which tasks students could use AI for. The school system had previously banned students from using ChatGPT in 2023, but reversed the ban less than a year later.

The 2026 framework, which allowed students to use AI for research, exploration and creative projects, drew criticism from many parents and teachers who considered it too lenient.

In response, Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said school leaders had “missed the mark” in communicating the policy and that his office would review parents’ feedback when developing future rules.

The Education Department had already planned to follow the March framework with a more comprehensive guidebook incorporating feedback.

The department will establish a task force comprising teachers, elected officials, experts and union representatives. It is expected to produce a report in April that will serve as the basis for New York City’s future AI-in-schools policy.