“Children need teachers and human connection in order to learn and grow. They need to develop skills alongside their peers, build relationships with their teachers, and wrestle with tough problems on their own,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on September 2 while announcing a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI from 2-K through grade 8.

“The tech industry wants us to believe that AI in early education is not only inevitable but that it is necessary. We do not see it that way,” Mamdani said. “I have yet to see a study showing that AI is beneficial for students in elementary and middle school, with the exception, of course, of research sponsored by the very corporations that stand to profit.”

The policy applies to the 2026-27 school year and affects nearly 600,000 students, about two-thirds of New York City’s public-school enrolment.

What the policy says

• 2-K through grade 8: Student-facing generative AI is prohibited for one year. The restriction covers software with generative AI features.
• Grades 9-12: AI use is limited to approved programs, career-readiness courses and selected pilots under teacher supervision.
• AI literacy: Every high school student must complete two 45-minute AI literacy modules covering how AI works, privacy, bias, risks and appropriate use.
• AI pilots: Five programs, Quill, Edia, Brisk Teaching, Playlab and Intel AI-Ready Schools, have been approved for limited high-school pilots. The city says no student will participate in more than one pilot.
• Companion chatbots: These are prohibited across all grades.
• Screen time: There will be no one-to-one screen use for students through second grade. The city recommends a maximum of 30 minutes a day for grades 3-5 and 45 minutes for grades 6-8.
• Exceptions: Assistive technology required by students with disabilities, including those required under IEPs and Section 504 plans, is exempt. Other necessary tools for multilingual learners are also allowed.

The moratorium covers software with student-facing generative AI. Companion chatbots are prohibited across all grades. Teacher-led use of computers, tablets and interactive boards remains allowed.

The city says the pilots will reach a maximum of 50,000 general-education high school students, or about 5% of the public-school student body. NYC Public Schools will limit each programme to specific weekly use: Quill to 15 minutes, Edia to 20 minutes, Brisk Teaching to 10–20 minutes once or twice a week, Playlab to two assignments per marking period, and Intel AI-Ready Schools to one class period a week.

Mamdani said the pilot programmes would not introduce general-purpose chatbots such as ChatGPT or Claude into classrooms.

More than 30 existing products to lose AI features

The administration is also turning off AI features in more than 30 educational products already used by city schools.

Ailish Brady, the mayor’s senior adviser for education, said schools would also switch off AI embedded in Tier 1 curriculum products where technically possible. “If a product cannot have the AI turned off, then that will be taken off the board entirely in our schools.”

The policy will also require educational software to undergo review for privacy and security. NYC Public Schools said its existing Enterprise Request Management Application (ERMA) process checks data privacy and security. At the same time, the city plans to expand its evaluation to areas including algorithmic bias, equity and instructional effectiveness.

Exceptions remain

The restrictions do not remove assistive technology required under students’ Individualized Education Plans or 504 plans. Students with disabilities and English language learners can continue to use necessary accessibility tools.

The screen limits also exclude assistive technology, assessments, remote instruction and centrally approved activities such as e-books, coding, robotics and simulations.

Teachers can continue to use AI for instructional planning and operational work, subject to existing privacy and procurement requirements. Students cannot use AI for grading, behaviour monitoring, or decisions on student placement, promotion or graduation.

The policy will be reviewed during its one-year term

The city will form a Technology in Schools Coalition comprising students, educators, parents, officials, advocates, union representatives and experts. It will monitor the policy and pilots during the 2026-27 school year and publish recommendations for future years.

Mamdani said the policy is deliberately temporary: “This policy is not one that is set in stone. It is by design a finite one-year policy.”

The mayor also linked the restrictions to concerns about student data and the role of technology companies in education.

“New Yorkers deserve to know that their kids will receive a high-quality education. They deserve to know that their children’s data won’t be mined by big tech,” he said.

The move marks another shift in New York City’s approach to generative AI in education. The school system temporarily blocked ChatGPT after its 2022 launch before later allowing broader experimentation with AI. The new policy instead places strict limits on younger students while preserving controlled access for high school students.

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