NYC Bans AI in Schools Through Eighth Grade

New York City is banning student use of artificial intelligence in public schools through eighth grade, a one-year moratorium that takes effect next week for the 2026-2027 school year.

The rule covers roughly 600,000 students in grades 2-K through 8 — about two-thirds of enrollment in the nation's largest school district, which serves around 900,000 students a year.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the policy Wednesday, September 2. It is being issued by the city's Department of Education as part of a broader overhaul of classroom technology rules.

What the Rules Say

AI use is permitted only in high school, starting in ninth grade, and even then only in specific instances such as learning about the technology itself. High schoolers will be offered AI literacy classes twice a year.

"Companion chatbots" offering psychological or mental-health support are banned in all grades.

Individual screens are barred through third grade. The department recommends daily screen-time caps of 45 minutes for middle schoolers and 30 minutes for elementary students.

Teachers may use AI for lesson planning and written communications, but are forbidden from using it to grade assignments.

Exceptions may be granted for tools that support students with disabilities and multilingual learners, and for specific purposes such as computer science programs.

A "limited AI pilot" will run in up to five high school classrooms using vetted tools with built-in time limits: Quill for English language support, Edia for math, Brisk Teaching for study practice, and Playlab and Intel AI-Ready Schools for multi-subject support.

Why They Say They're Doing It

"Children need teachers and human connection in order to learn and grow. They need to develop skills alongside their peers, build relationships with educators, and wrestle with tough problems on their own," Mamdani said in a statement reported by The Verge. "The tech industry wants us to believe that AI-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary. We do not see it that way."

Teachers and parents had warned about the effect of AI instructional software on children's mental health and cognitive development — in particular the handing-off of reasoning to software, which researchers have labeled "cognitive surrender" — as well as environmental concerns.

Schools chancellor Kamar Samuels said after the earlier framework drew criticism that leaders had "missed the mark" in their communications, and that his office would review parents' feedback for use in future rules.