New York City bans AI in elementary and middle schools

New York City has decided to ban the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in public schools for students up to the eighth grade, according to sources close to the situation. This prohibition on AI use in schools will only be lifted in high school, starting from the ninth grade in the American educational system. The ban comes in response to concerns raised by teachers, parents, and mental health experts about the potential negative impacts of AI on children's mental health and cognitive development.

Additionally, environmental concerns have been cited as another reason for the ban. AI use will be restricted to high school, with specific permitted uses, such as learning about the technology itself. Meanwhile, eighth graders, who are typically around 13 years old, will not be able to use AI for psychological support, such as companion chatbots, as stated by New York Times.

The new rules, set to be announced on Wednesday, will allow teachers to use AI for tasks like preparing lessons and writing messages. The city's education department recommends limiting screen time for middle school students, between sixth and eighth grade, to 45 minutes in class, while elementary school students should have a maximum of 30 minutes.

However, monitoring AI use remains a challenge, as it often occurs outside the school environment. The new rules mark a shift from an initial framework published in March, which used a traffic light system to decide which tasks AI would be used for. This earlier framework was criticized by many parents and teachers as being too lenient.

In response, New York City schools chancellor Kamar Samuels acknowledged that his office had missed the mark in their communications and emphasized that the office would carefully review parent feedback for future rule adjustments. The city had planned to follow the March framework with a more comprehensive guidebook incorporating feedback, with a task force to produce a report in April intended to serve as the basis for New York's AI-in-schools policy.

New York City's public school technology policies are closely watched by the US, as it is the largest school district in the country, with over 900,000 students in the 2024-2025 academic year.