NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other city officials announced a sweeping new policy Wednesday imposing a one-year ban on student use of generative artificial intelligence in New York City public schools from 2-K through eighth grade, while limiting screen time for younger students and launching AI literacy lessons for high schoolers.
The moratorium, which takes effect during the 2026-27 school year, will affect nearly 600,000 students, roughly two-thirds of the city’s public school enrollment.
“This moratorium is a commitment to getting the future right,” Mamdani said. “We will embrace new technology, but only when it serves our students.”
City officials said student-facing AI tools and companion chatbots will be prohibited for younger grades while a coalition of educators, parents, experts and elected officials studies the technology’s impact and recommends next steps.
A limited number of high school classrooms will be allowed to participate in closely monitored AI pilot programs, and all high school students will receive twice-yearly lessons focused on AI literacy, bias, ethics and critical thinking.
Officials said teachers will still be permitted to use AI for lesson planning and administrative work that meets city safety standards.
The policy also introduces new screen time guidelines, including restrictions on one-to-one device use for the youngest students and recommended daily caps of 30 minutes for grades 3-5 and 45 minutes for grades 6-8.
Mayor Mamdani called the move necessary to protect “human connection” in classrooms, arguing children should develop problem-solving and social skills alongside teachers and peers rather than relying on AI tools.
School leaders have been awaiting the guidance for months. Principals were instructed in July to pause software purchases while the administration finalized its policy. Earlier guidance released in March did not include grade-based AI restrictions or limits on digital devices.
The crackdown comes amid growing concerns from parents, educators and lawmakers about the impact of artificial intelligence and screen-based learning on children. Parent advocacy groups have pushed for an AI moratorium in schools, while more than half of the City Council signed a letter urging City Hall and the Department of Education to halt expanded AI use in classrooms.
UFT President Michael Mulgrew said parents’ concerns about artificial intelligence helped fuel calls for stricter guardrails.
“Parents are getting very, very upset with A.I. because all they hear are these horror stories about A.I. and they’re rightfully protective of their children,” Mulgrew said during a recent appearance on Up Close.
Mulgrew called AI “a very dangerous thing” and said schools should avoid using new products until they have been properly vetted. He also noted that teachers and principals lacked clear guidance on the policy just weeks before the start of the school year.
Supporters of the restrictions argue that many AI-powered educational programs offer questionable academic value and can encourage students to rely on technology rather than critical thinking. Some instructional apps have been criticized for resembling video games and making it easier for students to circumvent traditional learning.
The concerns mirror those that fueled New York City’s bell-to-bell cellphone ban, which took effect at the start of the last school year as educators and parents sought to reduce distractions and improve student engagement.
“The tech industry wants us to believe that A.I.-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary. We do not see it that way,” Mamdani said in a statement ahead of the announcement.
