New York City is preparing to ban AI use for students in public school through eighth grade, introducing some of the toughest restrictions on artificial intelligence in education while also setting new limits on classroom screen time for younger children.
The policy, expected to be announced Wednesday, would prohibit student-facing generative AI tools — including chatbots, AI tutors and other instructional programs — from the city’s early childhood programs through middle school. High school students would still be allowed to use AI, but only under restricted circumstances, including lessons designed to teach how the technology works, its risks and how to evaluate its output.
The move represents a significant tightening of the city’s approach just before public schools reopen on Sept. 10. Under the guidance, students in preschool through second grade would not be given individual learning devices during class, although shared classroom technology such as smart boards could still be used.
Students in grades three through five would be limited to about 30 minutes of individual screen time per day, while middle school students would be capped at roughly 45 minutes.
Teachers will retain limited access to AI tools
Teachers would still be able to use approved AI tools for certain professional tasks, including lesson planning, translating materials and drafting communications to families.
However, educators would not be permitted to use AI for grading student work, monitoring behavior, counseling students or developing special education plans.
Officials are also expected to allow exceptions where computers are required for regular reading and math assessments, as well as for some students, including English language learners and children with disabilities.
According to AFP, AI “companion chatbots” that provide psychological or emotional support are also expected to be prohibited under the new rules.
The tougher restrictions follow months of criticism from parents, educators and lawmakers who argued that the city’s earlier approach to artificial intelligence did not go far enough.
Guidance released in March used a traffic-light system to classify different levels of AI risk and permitted some student use for research, exploration and creative projects. The framework sparked backlash from parents and teachers concerned about the effects of AI on children’s cognitive development, mental health and classroom learning.
Backlash prompted city to rethink earlier AI guidance
The controversy also led to calls for stronger limits on AI use in schools. More than half of the City Council urged Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels to pause expanded use of the technology in classrooms, according to Chalkbeat.
Samuels later acknowledged that the administration had “missed the mark” in communicating its initial approach and said officials would take parent feedback into account while developing stronger protections.
The city also plans to establish a task force involving teachers, elected officials, experts and union representatives to help shape its longer-term approach. According to AFP, the group is expected to produce a report in April that could form the basis of New York City’s broader AI-in-schools policy.
One challenge, however, remains unresolved: enforcement. Students can easily access artificial intelligence tools outside school, making their use difficult for educators to monitor.
Still, the new restrictions mark a more cautious approach from the nation’s largest public school system as school districts across the United States continue to determine how artificial intelligence should fit into education.
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