NEW YORK (Diya TV) — New York City public schools will temporarily prohibit elementary and middle school students from using generative artificial intelligence tools during the upcoming school year, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Wednesday.
The one-year policy will apply to students through eighth grade and cover student-facing software that uses generative AI. City officials described it as the most expansive school AI restriction in the country.
The policy comes as school districts nationwide grapple with how to incorporate AI into classrooms while addressing concerns about cheating, overreliance on technology and student safety.
Mamdani said schools should teach students to approach AI with the same critical thinking expected in other subjects, including questioning information and challenging assumptions.
High school students will face different rules. The city plans to offer AI literacy instruction twice a year to all public high school students, focusing on how the technology works and how to use it responsibly.
Selected high schools will also participate in pilot programs allowing students to use a limited number of AI platforms under teacher supervision. Officials said the pilots will help determine whether broader access should be considered.
The city will also prohibit companion chatbots across all grade levels and recommend limits on student screen time. Students in grades three through five would be limited to 30 minutes of screen time per day, while students in grades six through eight would have a recommended limit of 45 minutes.
Teachers will still be permitted to use AI for lesson planning and other educational tasks.
As part of the policy, the city will review technology products used throughout the school system and remove tools deemed unnecessary or ineffective for student learning.
At least 37 states have issued guidance on AI use in schools, though policies vary widely over how students should access and learn about the technology.
Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, welcomed the proposed screen-time limits but said questions remain about how the Education Department will enforce safeguards and hold technology companies accountable.
Josh Golin, executive director of the children’s advocacy group Fairplay, called for a longer moratorium and said AI companies should demonstrate that their products improve learning, protect students and reduce opportunities for cheating.
The policy follows New York state’s ban on student cellphone use in schools, approved last year.
New York City public school students are scheduled to return to classrooms next week. Officials will use the coming school year to evaluate the impact of the AI restrictions before determining the city’s longer-term approach.
