New York City Public Schools Implement Landmark AI Ban for Grades 2K through 8th

Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels and Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced significant new restrictions on screen time and artificial intelligence use for New York City public school students. The nation's largest school district is banning generative artificial intelligence for students from 2K through 8th grade as part of a comprehensive effort to limit classroom technology.

The one-year moratorium impacts nearly 600,000 public school students, which represents nearly two-thirds of the district’s total enrollment. Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated that the district will disable or discontinue the AI components of more than 38 previously allowed programs that fail to meet updated safety and oversight standards.

Announced alongside Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, the policy aims to safeguard students’ critical thinking skills and preserve meaningful relationships between students and educators. School districts nationwide have faced mounting pressure to establish stricter boundaries on screen time and artificial intelligence due to concerns regarding student development, learning impacts, and safety risks.

Conversely, artificial intelligence developers have introduced educational tools and provided financial support to teachers’ unions to aid in developing AI training curricula. The Los Angeles Unified School District also implemented major restrictions on classroom screen usage and moved to limit student access to generative AI platforms while evaluating safeguards.

While New York state previously banned personal mobile phones during the school day, Mamdani’s administration described the latest measures as the most expansive limits on artificial intelligence implementation in American schools. Mainstream services such as ChatGPT and Claude, alongside companion chatbots, will remain blocked across all grade levels.

High school students in New York City will retain access to a restricted selection of approved tools alongside specialized AI critical thinking courses. The newly formed Technology in Schools Coalition—comprising educators, parents, and students—will assess the moratorium's effects and offer recommendations for subsequent academic years.

Exceptions to the policy are established for English learners and students with disabilities. Furthermore, teachers retain the ability to utilize artificial intelligence for operational tasks and lesson planning, though grading and student assessments remain strictly restricted from AI use.

Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, praised the screen time restrictions and provisions for special needs students, while questioning how the education department plans to evaluate approved learning tools in the future. Chancellor Samuels acknowledged the difficulties of monitoring external student technology use at home and urged parents to actively supervise their children's digital habits.

Concluding the press conference, Mayor Mamdani emphasized the administration's firm stance against industry pressure regarding early childhood technology integration.