Nearly 600,000 elementary and middle school students in New York City will be barred from using artificial intelligence for a year as education officials and teachers grapple with the technology’s growing role - and its impact on learning.
On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels rolled out that one-year ban, which they said represents "the most expansive student-facing AI moratorium in the nation."
“The tech industry wants us to believe that A.I.-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary," Mamdani said in a statement. "We do not see it that way."
School districts across the country are weighing the risks and benefits of AI in the classroom. Critics say that AI encourages students to avoid critical thinking, writing, and problem-solving skills. Proponents, however, say that AI literacy is an important skill as they enter college and the workplace.
Districts have taken varying approaches to the technology. Chicago Public Schools, for example, has taken a measured approach in restricting students' access to generative AI at school, while exploring ways to integrate GenAI in an ethical and responsible way, according to the district's resource site.
Mamdani also announced new AI initiatives Wednesday, including a "twice-yearly AI critical thinking modules for high schoolers," and limited pilots for a few high school classrooms. Those limited platforms include Quill, Edia, Brisk Teaching, Playlab and Intel AI-Ready Schools, according to the mayor's office.
State and city lawmakers cheered Mamdani's approach. State Senator Jabari Brisport, a former middle school teacher, said he was pleased to see the administration take what he called a measured approach.
"This combination of a 1-year ban with select pilot programs allows us to take a serious look at AI usage in schools and find a path that allows our students to adapt to our changing world in a safe manner,” Brisport said in the statement.