New York City implements moratorium on generative AI in public schools
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Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels launched a moratorium on generative artificial intelligence in New York City public schools for the 2026-2027 school year.
The policy prohibits generative AI tools for students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. It also bans company chatbots designed to simulate personal connections for all grade levels, including high school. The city government stated the one-year moratorium will affect nearly 600,000 students, who make up about two-thirds of the public school enrollment.
Mamdani argued that children need human connection and teachers to grow, and that students must develop their own skills before using automated systems. While the policy restricts students, teachers can still use AI for lesson planning and administrative tasks as long as the tools follow city safety and privacy rules. High school students from ninth to twelfth grade may use five specific pilot programs under teacher supervision.
These include tools like Quill for text analysis and Edia for math, with specific weekly time limits. High schoolers will also take two annual modules on AI literacy to learn about ethical risks and biases. The city also introduced new screen time limits, prohibiting individual device use for younger students and suggesting 30 to 45 minutes of daily screen time for older elementary students. Exceptions remain for students with disabilities, English language learners, and vocational training participants.
These students can still access assistive technologies included in their individual education plans. Additionally, the city deactivated generative features on more than 38 programs that did not meet the new requirements.
