US: New York City Mayor Mamdani announces ban on AI for younger students

Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City has announced a temporary ban on the use of generative artificial intelligence tools for elementary and middle school students during the upcoming school year. This one-year moratorium is the most extensive of its kind in the United States and applies to roughly 600,000 public school students through the eighth grade.

The policy prohibits student-facing generative AI software, affecting about 40 educational AI tools currently in use in classrooms. Companion chatbots will also be banned across all grade levels. However, high school students will be exempt from the full ban. The city will introduce twice-yearly AI literacy classes for all high school students and launch pilot programs allowing select AI platforms under teacher supervision.

Mamdani emphasized the importance of human connection in education, stating that children need teachers and human interaction to learn and grow. He also linked the policy to the school district's educational ideals, asserting that when it comes to AI in schools, there is an obligation to question and challenge assumptions. New York's move follows other school districts' consideration of generative AI's benefits and risks.

Los Angeles Unified, the country's second-largest school district, is also temporarily blocking generative AI tools on student devices while developing a formal policy. New York's restrictions include recommended screen time limits – 30 minutes daily for grades three to five and 45 minutes for grades six to eight, and a citywide review of education technology tools to eliminate nonessential ones.

However, reactions from education and advocacy groups have been mixed, with some welcoming the screen time limits while others calling for a longer moratorium and more safeguards for AI tools.