NYC public schools to ban generative AI for students in elementary and middle school

New York City’s public school system plans to prohibit students in 2-K through eighth grade from using student-facing generative artificial intelligence tools when the new school year begins. The policy would bar access to education software that uses AI, including instructional programs and AI tutors, covering nearly 600,000 students—about two-thirds of the system’s total enrollment.
The rules will also set limits on individual device use, particularly for younger children. The city’s Department of Education had not immediately commented on how the policy would be enforced.

What the new policy restricts

The planned ban applies to preschool, elementary and middle school students. In addition to generative AI, the policy would prohibit one-to-one screen time in 2-K through second grade.
Education officials recommend limiting individual device use to no more than 30 minutes for students in third through fifth grade and 45 minutes for students in sixth through eighth grade. Screen use in high school may vary by school and subject.
The slides outlining the policy say younger students need hands-on learning, social interaction, play and teacher-guided instruction. They warn that routine individual screen use can reduce those experiences.
The restrictions include exemptions for assistive technology used by students with disabilities or students learning English as a new language. Short assessments, diagnostic tests, remote learning days and certain school-approved instructional programs—including e-books, robotics, coding and simulations—would also be exempt.

High school AI use will be limited

High school students will not face the same blanket prohibition, but classroom AI use will be “restricted,” according to the policy materials.
Permitted uses may include AI literacy, career and certification programs, and five approved pilot programs in select schools. All use must involve teacher supervision, and students must retain ownership of their thinking and work. The policy materials also state that pilot tools will not replace teachers.
The school system’s guidance says older students need preparation for a workforce increasingly shaped by AI and other technologies. That preparation is expected to include instruction on how AI works, its biases and risks, and how to evaluate its outputs.

Policy follows months of backlash

The policy arrives after the school system delayed its original timeline amid pressure from parents and teachers. Education officials released a first draft in March and initially expected a final policy in June.
Parents protested at monthly school board meetings and outside City Hall. An online petition calling for a two-year moratorium on AI in schools collected more than 6,000 signatures, while a majority of City Council members signed a letter supporting an immediate pause.
The draft focused largely on how teachers and principals should use AI and offered less detail on preventing students from outsourcing critical thinking and creative work to the technology. During a Council hearing, school officials acknowledged they would miss their deadline and promised to issue final guidance before the first day of school. Principals were also instructed to pause new education technology purchases while the policy was being developed.

What happens next

The school system plans to form a coalition of teachers, parents, elected officials and unions to help shape its policy for the 2027-2028 school year and beyond. Meetings are expected to begin later this month after members are confirmed.
Enforcement details remain unclear. The policy’s rollout also follows concern over AI technologies entering classrooms, including an AI-powered robot purchased by an upstate New York school district. Plans to deploy that robot are now on pause.