New York City decided to pause the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by public elementary and middle school students for one year. The city said students should learn by communicating directly with teachers and peers rather than relying on AI.
On the 2nd (local time), according to Reuters, New York City announced it would implement a one-year moratorium (temporary suspension) on students' use of AI in public elementary and middle schools. Reuters said the measure by New York City's public school district, the largest in the United States, is the toughest AI restriction for students implemented in the country so far.
Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayor, said at a news conference that the city would also halt the use of about 40 AI education tools currently used in New York City classrooms. Mamdani said, "For children to learn and grow, they need relationships with teachers and other humans," adding, "They need to build skills with their peers, form relationships with educators, and wrestle with hard problems on their own."
The measure applies to about 600,000 students in 8th grade and below who attend New York City public schools. But AI is not completely banned. High school students (9th grade and above) may use AI in some cases, and teachers may use AI for tasks such as planning lessons or managing schedules.
Major AI corporations including Google, Anthropic, and Microsoft (MS) did not provide separate comments to Reuters about the measure.
This is not the first time New York City has restricted AI use in schools. New York City public schools temporarily banned students from using ChatGPT in 2022, shortly after ChatGPT was released by OpenAI. The district later lifted the restriction and introduced its own AI-based educational support tools.
As Generative AI spreads quickly in classrooms, debates continue in the United States over the scope of students' AI use. According to Reuters, other districts, including Los Angeles (LA), are currently reviewing their AI policies. With New York City, the nation's largest district, temporarily suspending students' use of AI, discussions over the scope and regulation of AI in education are expected to intensify in other regions as well.