New York City is banning students from using artificial intelligence in public schools until they reach high school, in a one-year move aimed at protecting children’s education and mental health.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the restriction on Wednesday, affecting nearly 600,000 public school students through eighth grade.
Under the new rules, only high school students, typically aged 14 and above, will be allowed to use AI through limited pilot programmes. They will also receive AI literacy classes twice a year.
AI companion chatbots designed specifically to provide emotional support will be prohibited across all school grades.
“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,” Mamdani said in a statement.
“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,” he added.
The restrictions apply to students, while teachers will still be allowed to use AI for tasks such as lesson planning and administrative work.
The policy will be closely watched across the United States because New York City’s public school system is the largest school district in the country.
During the 2026-2027 school year, a task force made up of students, teachers, parents, elected officials and industry experts will assess the impact of the moratorium.
The group will later publish its findings, which will help inform future decisions on AI use in schools.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul backed the move, saying authorities had a responsibility to ensure rapidly changing technology benefits children rather than interferes with their learning.
“We have a responsibility to ensure that rapidly-changing technology supports our children and their learning, rather than getting in the way of it,” Hochul said on Wednesday.
The new restrictions come after an earlier framework published in March allowed students to use AI for research, exploration and creative projects.
That policy drew criticism from many parents and teachers, who considered the rules too lenient.
Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels acknowledged the criticism, saying school leaders had “missed the mark” in communicating the policy.
His office will now review the feedback as it develops future rules governing AI use in New York City schools.
