NYC Mayor Mamdani Announces Gen AI Restrictions for 2K-8th Grade Students: Here’s Why | Today’s news
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday (local time) announced a one-year moratorium on the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) for public school students from 2K to eighth grade.
The decision will affect roughly 600,000 public school students, or roughly two-thirds of the total number enrolled in the system. This comes at a time when artificial intelligence is developing rapidly and companies are investing hundreds of billions in its growth, while our reliance on technology in our daily lives is also growing.
In announcing the moratorium, Mamdani said the district would “terminate or disable artificial intelligence components in more than 38 previously authorized programs that do not meet our new safety and oversight standards,” CNN reported.
Read also | Artificial intelligence may be quietly cutting jobs without triggering mass layoffs: New report
Why is NYC restricting the use of AI in classrooms? What will the policy contain?
He announced the latest policy with Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, saying it aims to protect students’ critical thinking skills along with student-teacher relationships.
The one-year moratorium, which will take effect in the 2026-2027 school year, is part of a broader effort to limit the use of classroom technology in America’s largest school district. The policy will also introduce twice-yearly AI critical thinking modules for high school students, limited AI pilot programs in a small number of high school classrooms, and age-based restrictions on screen time.
In addition, the latest policy announced Wednesday will create a new Technology in Schools Coalition of educators, parents, students and others to evaluate the impact of the moratorium and make recommendations accordingly for future school years.
While teachers will be able to use the technology to plan their lessons and perform other “operational tasks,” they will not be able to use it to grade or evaluate students.
Read also | America should not imprison frontier AI
Several communities across the US are calling for stricter standards
Mamdani’s decision comes as several communities across the United States have also called for stricter restrictions on screen time and the use of artificial intelligence, amid growing concerns that the latest technology could hinder students’ learning and development while also posing safety risks.
Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Unified School District implemented sweeping restrictions on the use of screens in classrooms, while New York state has already banned students from using personal phones during school hours. But Mamdani’s office described Wednesday’s move as the “most far-reaching” set of restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence in schools.
New York City has also previously taken steps to limit the use of artificial intelligence in schools. In 2023, the city’s Department of Education banned the AI chatbot ChatGPT from school facilities and networks, but reversed course a few months later.
NYC mayor, governor respond to AI restrictions in schools
The NYC mayor said, “Kids need teachers and human connection to learn and grow. They need to develop skills alongside their peers, build relationships with educators, and face tough challenges on their own.” He added: “The tech industry wants us to believe that AI-based early education is not only inevitable, but necessary. We don’t see it that way. That’s why we’re putting a moratorium on generative AI for students in grades 2-K through 8 and spending the next year studying the technology’s impacts.”
Read also | Why New York school officials are blocking ChatGPT
Responding to the announcement, Governor Kathy Hochul said, “We have a responsibility to ensure that rapidly changing technology supports our children and their learning, rather than hindering it,” adding, “New York State has led the way in our efforts to keep children focused on learning and growing—not clicking and scrolling—and I commend Mayor Mamdani for building on that work and moving our shared commitment to New York forward.”
