New York City to Ban AI Use in Public Elementary and Middle Schools for One Year, Affecting 600,000 Students

[Financial News] The New York City government will restrict the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by public elementary and middle school students for one year ahead of the start of the school year next week.
According to The New York Times (NYT) and other outlets, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters on the 2nd (local time) that the city would suspend the use of about 40 educational AI apps currently used by students in New York City classrooms.
Mayor Mamdani emphasized, "For children to learn and grow, they need teachers and human interaction. They need to develop their abilities alongside their peers, build relationships with educators, and work through difficult problems on their own."
Mamdani added, "Big Tech wants us to believe that AI-based early education is not only inevitable but essential," but "we do not see it that way."
The policy announced by the New York City Department of Education applies to approximately 600,000 public school students through eighth grade. High school students will be allowed to use AI only in limited exceptional cases. Teachers may use AI for administrative tasks such as preparing lesson plans and managing schedules.
According to NYT, under the new restrictions, New York students will not be permitted to use personal screens at all until they reach third grade. Teachers will also be prohibited from assigning AI to grade student work.
High school students will be allowed to use five approved AI apps and must complete literacy education on AI-related risks, including hallucinations.
So-called companion chatbots, which provide children and adolescents with "emotional and mental support," will be banned across all grade levels.
Kamar Samuels, New York City's schools chancellor, emphasized, "Children learn best when they wrestle with difficult problems, make mistakes, try again, and finally arrive at the correct answer," adding, "No app, chatbot, or algorithm can replace productive struggle for a child."
New York City public schools previously imposed a temporary ban shortly after OpenAI launched ChatGPT in late 2022. The city's latest restrictions are the most stringent AI education policy implemented anywhere in the United States to date.
As AI use in classrooms has expanded in New York, parents have pushed back, arguing that it undermines students' learning outcomes and encourages cheating. Some have even formed parent groups calling for an end to AI use.
[email protected] International Affairs Specialist Lee Seok-woo Reporter