New York City Bans AI Tools in Schools for Younger Students

New York City has introduced a significant change to its public school system. Starting this school year, elementary and middle school students will no longer be allowed to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the classroom. A moratorium — a temporary official stop to an activity — will last for one year. This decision affects approximately 600,000 students, making it the largest policy of its kind in the United States. According to Al Jazeera, the city will use this time to study how these tools affect children.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the plan on Wednesday, emphasizing the importance of human relationships in education. He explained that children need to learn by working with their teachers and classmates, and by solving difficult problems on their own. "The tech industry wants us to believe that AI-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary. We do not see it that way," the mayor said during a news conference. Deutsche Welle reported that the city will stop the use of about 40 different educational AI tools that were previously used in classrooms.

While the ban applies to younger students, it does not mean that all technology is leaving the classroom. Teachers will still be allowed to use AI to help with lesson planning and administrative tasks, such as scheduling. Additionally, high school students are exempt from the full ban. Instead, the city plans to launch pilot programs where a limited number of high schoolers can use specific AI platforms under the supervision of their teachers. These students will also receive AI literacy classes twice a year to help them understand how the technology works.

This new policy is part of a larger effort to manage screen time and improve student focus. The city is introducing new limits on how long students can use screens each day. Students in grades three through five will have a 30-minute daily cap, while students in grades six through eight will be limited to 45 minutes. Furthermore, the city has decided to ban "companion chatbots" — software programs designed to act like a friend or assistant — across all grade levels, including high schools.

This decision comes at a difficult time for the city's schools. According to Al Jazeera, reading proficiency scores for students in grades three through eight dropped by 6 percent in 2025. By pausing the use of AI, the city hopes to create a space where educators and parents can better understand how these tools influence learning. Adin Lenchner, a political consultant based in New York, told Al Jazeera that many people were waiting for this kind of leadership, noting that the mayor is giving schools the "runway" to study the real impact of these tools on the education system.

New York is not the only city reconsidering its approach to technology. According to Deutsche Welle, the Los Angeles Unified school district, which is the second-largest in the country, is also blocking generative AI tools while it creates a formal policy. Like New York, Los Angeles has already set screen-time limits for younger students. While at least 37 states have some form of official guidance regarding AI, there is currently no consistent national standard for how schools should teach AI literacy.

Reactions to the ban have been mixed. Some education advocates support the focus on human connection and the new screen-time limits. However, others have raised concerns about the details of the plan. Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, told the Associated Press that the policy leaves many questions unanswered. He specifically mentioned that the Department of Education needs to explain how it will ensure that the tools it does purchase are safe and effective for students.

As other school districts across the country watch New York, experts believe this move could set a standard for how American schools handle the rise of AI. Margeret Murry. The city plans to use the next year to evaluate the results of its pilot programs and the general impact of the ban. For now, the focus remains on ensuring that technology serves as a helpful tool rather than a replacement for the essential relationship between students and their teachers.