New York City has announced a one-year pause on the use of generative AI for elementary students during the 2026–27 school year. The measure applies to grades 2-K through 8 and affects nearly 600,000 students, representing about two-thirds of the city’s public school population. The city government stated that this is among the broadest such policies in the United States.
All generative AI software aimed at students will be excluded from the aforementioned grades, and companion chatbots will be fully prohibited across all grade levels, including high school. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated that the tech industry is attempting to frame AI-driven early education as “inevitable and necessary,” but the city government does not accept this assessment, believing that children’s learning still requires direct human interaction with teachers.
High schools retain limited pilot programs
While imposing comprehensive restrictions on younger grades, New York City has not fully banned AI tools in high school settings. The official plan includes a one-year observation period to evaluate AI’s impact on teaching, during which approved, limited pilot programs will be retained for high schools.
As scheduled, up to 50,000 high school students will have access to the approved tools, representing approximately 5% of the entire school district’s student population. Each high school may pilot the tools in no more than five courses, with strict limitations on usage scope and duration.
- Quill is used in English classes for no more than 15 minutes per week.
- Edia is used for math tutoring, no more than 20 minutes per week.
- Intel AI-Ready Schools schedule one class period per week, aligned with semester projects.
In addition, Brisk Teaching and Playlab have also been added to the pilot list, with Playlab allowing a maximum of two related assignments per grading period.
All high school students will add AI literacy courses.
New York City also requires all high school students to complete two 45-minute AI literacy modules each year. The curriculum covers fundamental concepts of AI, as well as issues such as bias, risks, ethics, and career impacts.
This arrangement shows that New York City is not entirely rejecting AI in schools, but rather seeking to distinguish between “tool use” and “technological literacy.” For younger students, the policy focuses on minimizing direct exposure; for high school students, limited instructional experiments are retained, along with increased foundational education on AI literacy.
Teachers can still be used for lesson preparation.
The new policy does not prohibit teachers from using AI. Teachers may still use AI tools for lesson planning and daily administrative tasks, as long as the tools meet New York City’s security standards. Exceptions to the policy also include assistive technologies for students with disabilities, multilingual learning support, and career readiness programs such as computer science.
Meanwhile, New York City stated that all technology tools in schools will be reevaluated, and any tool deemed non-essential for instruction may be removed.
The official will also establish a "School Technology Alliance," comprising students, teachers, parents, unions, advocacy organizations, and elected officials. This body will evaluate the suspension measures and high school pilot programs, and make recommendations for the upcoming school year.
Additional information: New York City schools will resume classes on September 10, and the new regulations will take effect starting the 2026–27 school year.