New York City to ban students from using AI until high school

New York City is set to prohibit public school students from using artificial intelligence until high school, as officials overhaul technology rules across the US’s largest school district.

New York City is set to ban public school students from using artificial intelligence until they reach high school, in one of the most significant restrictions on classroom AI use in the US.

The prohibition, which was announced on Wednesday (02.09.26), will apply through eighth grade, when students are typically 13 or 14, and is expected to take effect next week.

The policy forms part of a wider overhaul of technology use across New York City’s public schools, which educate roughly 900,000 students each year.

Under the new rules, AI will only be permitted from ninth grade onwards and will be restricted to specific uses, including learning about the technology itself.

AI “companion chatbots” designed to provide psychological support will also be prohibited.

Teachers will still be allowed to use AI to prepare lessons and draft communications, but will not be permitted to use it to grade students’ work.

The district will also keep pupils off laptops and tablets until third grade, when children are generally nine or 10 years old.

The changes follow concerns from parents and teachers about the impact of AI on children’s mental health and cognitive development.

Researchers have warned that excessive reliance on AI could encourage “cognitive surrender”, where people hand over reasoning and problem-solving tasks to software.

Environmental concerns surrounding the energy demands of AI have also contributed to the debate.

The city’s education department recommends that middle school students spend no more than 45 minutes using screens during lessons, with a 30-minute recommendation for elementary school pupils.

However, enforcing restrictions on AI presents a particular challenge because students can access the technology outside school.

New York City’s previous approach has changed rapidly.

The district banned students from using ChatGPT in 2023, only to reverse that decision less than a year later.

A framework published in March allowed students to use AI for research, exploration and creative projects.

The approach was criticised by parents and teachers who considered it too permissive.

Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels acknowledged that officials had “missed the mark” in communicating the policy and said parent feedback would be considered.

The education department will now establish a task force comprising teachers, elected officials, experts and union representatives.

It is due to publish a report in April that will form the basis of the city’s longer-term AI education policy.

The rules are likely to attract attention well beyond New York, as school districts across the US grapple with how much access children should have to rapidly developing AI tools.