New York City to Restrict 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 new 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 Zohran Mamdani stressed, "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."
Mayor Zohran 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 certain exceptional cases. Teachers may use AI for administrative tasks such as lesson planning and schedule management.
According to NYT, the regulation means that New York students will not be allowed to use personal screens at all until they reach the third grade of elementary school. Teachers will also be prohibited from assigning AI to grade students' work.
High school students may use five approved AI apps, and they must complete literacy education addressing AI-related risks, including hallucinations.
So-called companion chatbots, which provide "emotional and mental support" to children and adolescents, will be banned across all grade levels.
Kamar H. Samuels, New York City's schools chancellor, stressed, "Children learn best when they wrestle with difficult problems, make mistakes, try again, and eventually arrive at the correct answer. 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 regulation is the most restrictive policy related to AI education implemented anywhere in the United States to date.
As AI use expanded in New York City classrooms, parents pushed back, arguing that AI undermines students' learning outcomes and encourages cheating. Some even formed parent groups calling for an end to AI use.

[email protected] International Affairs Correspondent Lee Seok-woo Reporter