NYC schools limit AI and screen time for students
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New York City’s public schools began the year with a new policy restricting artificial intelligence and screen time for students, and many parents expressed relief at the changes.
The Education Department issued a yearlong moratorium on student-facing generative AI tools, like chatbots, in preschool through eighth grade, allowing limited use in high school. For screen time, preschool through second grade students are banned from using individual devices.
Students in grades 3-5 can use devices for up to 30 minutes daily, and middle school students for up to 45 minutes. Parents like Julia Jackson of Brooklyn appreciate having a school rule to support their efforts to limit their children’s technology use at home. Bora Lee, another parent, plans to use the policy as a starting point for conversations with her children about responsible screen time and AI use, limiting device use to the living room.
Some parents, like Nickel Douglas, were disappointed by the device limits, finding laptops useful for schoolwork and transport. School leaders will monitor how the policy works in practice, and Chancellor Kamar Samuels clarified that the screen time limits are guidelines rather than strict rules. The policy arose from parent concerns about technology in schools. While New York City initially announced the broadest AI moratorium in the nation, Los Angeles soon followed with an even more restrictive policy.
The city plans to form a coalition to assess the policy and consider future changes.
