New York City implements a one-year generative AI ban for students in grades 2 to 8

According to Decrypt, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Education Director Kamar Samuels announced a one-year ban on the use of generative AI for students from 2-K to eighth grade, starting from the 2026-27 school year, affecting nearly 600,000 students, about two-thirds of the city's enrollment. All generative AI software aimed at students is prohibited, and companion chatbots are banned across all grades, including high school.

Mamdani stated that the tech industry wants people to view AI-driven early education as an inevitable and necessary trend, but the city government disagrees. He believes that children need teachers and interpersonal interaction to learn and grow. During the ban, New York City will study the impact of AI and tighten screen time: students in second grade and below will be limited to one-on-one device use, while grades three to five will have a daily limit of 30 minutes, and grades six to eight will have 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, about 50,000 high school students (about 5%) will be allowed to use approved tools in up to five classes per school, including text analysis tool Quill, math tutoring platform Edia, Intel AI-Ready Schools, Brisk Teaching, and Playlab. Each high school student will also participate in two 45-minute AI literacy courses each year, covering AI fundamentals, bias, risks, ethics, and career impacts. Teachers may still use AI for lesson preparation and administrative work within safety standards, while assistive technology for students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and career preparation programs in computer science will be exempt.