Source: Sina Finance
Original title: Strictest in the U.S.! New York City bans AI use for younger students entirely
As school districts across the U.S. scramble to address various challenges posed by artificial intelligence, New York City announced on Wednesday a broad ban on AI for younger students, marking a significant escalation in schools' efforts to regulate this emerging technology.
New York City Mayor Zoran Mammadani announced on Wednesday local time that the largest school district in the United States will implement a one-year ban on the use of artificial intelligence tools for students in pre-K through eighth grade next school year. The policy will affect approximately 600,000 students, representing two-thirds of all New York City public school students.
This aggressive move comes as bipartisan opposition to big tech companies in the United States continues to rise, with this wave also reaching campuses, as many parents urge schools to reduce the use of technology products.
On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Mumdani publicly criticized edtech, reflecting the aforementioned social attitudes.
At his press conference in Brooklyn, he said: "The tech industry wants us to believe that introducing artificial intelligence into early education is not only inevitable but essential. But we don’t agree. Beyond research funded by companies that stand to profit from it, I have not seen any evidence that artificial intelligence benefits elementary and secondary school students."
This ban in New York City is among the strictest policies enacted so far by major U.S. school districts. Meanwhile, federal legislation aimed at establishing regulatory boundaries for classroom AI has stalled. States with varying positions, including Virginia, Idaho, and Oklahoma, are attempting to fill this policy gap by enacting measures that require their state education departments to develop guidance documents on AI use for school districts to reference when creating local policies.
None of the above states have implemented strict restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence in classrooms; instead, most have simply directed their state education departments to develop guidelines based on existing student data privacy and security regulations, promoting responsible and transparent use of this technology.
Just as students are set to return to school next week, New York City has taken a more aggressive approach.
“New York City residents have the right to know that their children can receive a high-quality education,” Mamdani said, “they have the right to know that their children’s data will not be exploited by big tech companies; and they have the right to know that their children’s development will not be harmed by corporate profit-seeking.”
Randy Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, the second-largest teachers' union in the United States, noted that New York City’s policy aligns with the union’s previous proposal, a statement equivalent to support for Mamdani’s initiative.
“This is highly similar to the proposal we (the American Federation of Teachers) put forward in May,” Weintraub posted on social media. “High school students need digital literacy and thoughtful instruction on AI tools; but younger students must learn to think independently—which means reducing screen time and minimizing the delegation of cognitive tasks to artificial intelligence.”
New York City’s new regulations also largely prohibit students in pre-kindergarten through second grade from using personal electronic devices in class. The policy recommends that students in grades three to five limit their screen time with personal devices to no more than 30 minutes per day, and middle school students to no more than 45 minutes.
Calls to limit screen time for young children are growing across the United States, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul is open to the idea. The state’s powerful teachers’ union is also urging restrictions on AI use and screen time for young children; states such as Alabama and Tennessee have already passed legislation related to screen time this year.
Mamdani said New York City will “deactivate or shut down” the AI features of 38 previously approved applications that do not meet new safety and regulatory standards. Senior Advisor for Education to the First Deputy Mayor, Ailish Brady, noted that this includes the AI reading tutoring tool Amira. She added that the city will not purchase or use any product that cannot disable its AI functionality.
However, MAMDANI emphasized that high school students will be subject to a different set of guidelines, noting that teenagers grow up in an environment where artificial intelligence is ubiquitous.
Mamdani did not specify exactly how the policy would be enforced, only stating that he believed teachers, principals, and district superintendents would comply with the rule.
When asked why the city chose to implement a one-year pause, Mamdani responded that the current administration wants to assess the impact of the policy while not ruling out the possibility of extending or revising it in the future.
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