NYC Bans AI for Kids in School Until High School

New York City just made one of the boldest moves yet to keep AI out of young children's classrooms. Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that starting in the 2026-2027 school year, about 600,000 public school students from pre-K through eighth grade won't be allowed to use AI tools during school. The ban also stops teachers from using AI to grade assignments and forbids companion chatbots — apps designed to chat like a friend or provide emotional support — across all grades, including high school.

Why this matters to you: Many parents worry about how much time kids already spend on screens. The city says children need real teachers and human connection to learn and grow. "The tech industry wants us to believe AI-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary," Mamdani said. "We do not see it that way." Individual screens are already banned until third grade, and middle schoolers are limited to 45 minutes of screen time per day.

High schoolers aren't completely cut off. They can use AI in specific cases, and they'll get AI literacy classes twice a year to learn how to question what AI says before relying on it. There are also exceptions: AI tools that help students with disabilities or multilingual learners may still be allowed, and some computer science programs can apply for permission.

The city is piloting AI in just five high school classrooms using carefully vetted tools like Quill for English help, Edia for math, and Brisk Teaching for study guidance. These tools have built-in time limits and are supposed to keep students as the primary thinkers. It's a cautious, limited experiment — and one that could influence how other school districts across the country decide to handle AI.