New York City Moves to Bar AI Tools for Its Youngest Students

New York City is expected to release a policy for artificial intelligence in its public schools, banning student-facing AI tools, including chatbots and AI tutors, for children from 2-K through eighth grade. The rules would cover the youngest children in the nation's largest school system, according to reporting on Education Department documents and people briefed on the plans.

The guidance also sets limits on classroom screen time. Schools would be barred from giving individual devices to students in preschool through second grade, though classrooms may keep smart boards. The policy recommends limiting individual screen time to 30 minutes for students in grades 3-5 and 45 minutes for middle school students. High schoolers would have restricted access to AI, with some use permitted for literacy, career readiness, and a small number of pilot programs.

Education Department officials wrote that younger students need hands-on learning, social interaction, play, and teacher-guided instruction, and that routine individual screen use can crowd out those experiences. For older students, the presentation described guided preparation for a world increasingly driven by AI, paired with instruction on how the technology works and on its biases and risks.

The restrictions represent a significantly more aggressive stance than the city had previously taken. Earlier guidance drew swift backlash from parents, with thousands signing a petition to stop the use of generative AI in schools. More than half of City Council members signed a letter urging a pause, citing concerns about learning and mental health, and the schools chancellor acknowledged that the initial guidance had missed the mark.

For the Foundation, the policy is a notable example of a school system weighing the developmental needs of children against the spread of generative AI. Some exceptions are expected for standardised assessments and for certain student groups, and it remains unclear how the rules will be enforced.

The original reporting on this development is by Chalkbeat New York, available at Chalkbeat New York.