New York City Public Schools will prohibit generative artificial intelligence tools for all students from pre-K through eighth grade starting with the 2026–2027 school year, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced on September 2. The one-year moratorium covers chatbots, AI tutors, and companion AI software across the nation’s largest school district, affecting roughly 600,000 children, or two-thirds of the system’s enrollment.
Key Takeaways
- Generative AI tools, including chatbots and AI tutors, are banned for all students in pre-K through eighth grade for the 2026–2027 school year
- Individual devices are largely prohibited in classrooms from pre-K through second grade; screen time is capped at 30 minutes for grades 3–5 and 45 minutes for middle school
- High school students will have restricted AI access limited to AI literacy, career readiness, and five pilot programs at select schools
- Teachers are barred from using AI for grading, behavior monitoring, counseling, or developing special education plans
- Exceptions remain for assistive technology serving students with disabilities and English language learners, as well as for computer-based assessments, e-books, coding, and robotics
- A new task force of teachers, elected officials, and education experts will guide implementation and produce a report by April 2027
The Policy Reverses a Months-Long Struggle Over Classroom AI Rules
The moratorium marks a sharp turn from where New York City Public Schools stood six months ago. In March 2026, Chancellor Samuels introduced a “traffic light” framework that assigned red, yellow, and green categories to different AI uses. Under that system, educators were barred from using AI for grading and discipline decisions, but student-facing AI received a “yellow light,” a designation that left classroom use largely at teacher discretion.
That approach drew immediate criticism from parents and educators who viewed it as too ambiguous for a school system serving more than 900,000 students. Thousands of parents signed a petition calling for a full moratorium on generative AI in schools. Grassroots parent groups organized testimonies at school board meetings, and by late spring, more than half of the New York City Council’s members had signed a letter urging Mayor Mamdani and Chancellor Samuels to pause AI use entirely.
Samuels acknowledged in May that the city had “missed the mark” with its initial guidance. By July, the chancellor directed all schools to freeze software purchases until new rules were finalized, a decision that created logistical challenges for principals scrambling to ensure access to electronic gradebooks and family communication platforms before the September 10 start of the school year.
Screen Time Restrictions Accompany the AI Ban
The new policy goes beyond artificial intelligence. New York City Public Schools will also restrict how much time students spend on individual devices during the school day. Classrooms serving pre-K through second grade will no longer distribute individual laptops or tablets to students, though smart boards will remain in use. For students in grades three through five, the guidelines recommend no more than 30 minutes of screen time per day on individual devices. Middle school students will have a 45-minute daily cap.
The screen time limits follow a broader national conversation about technology in classrooms. Governor Kathy Hochul implemented a statewide ban on smartphones in New York schools in 2025, a policy that reshaped how districts across the state approach personal devices during instructional hours.
Education Department officials framed the restrictions as a return to fundamentals. Internal presentation materials obtained by multiple outlets stated 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.
High School Students Face Narrowly Defined AI Access
Students in ninth through twelfth grade will not face a blanket ban, but their access to AI tools will be tightly controlled. The policy permits AI use only in contexts related to AI literacy and career readiness. Five pilot programs at unspecified schools will test broader classroom applications under structured conditions.
The high school guidelines acknowledge that older students will encounter AI in the workforce and in higher education. Presentation materials note that high schoolers need guided preparation for a world and economy increasingly driven by AI and new technologies, paired with instruction on how the technology works, its biases, and how to evaluate its outputs.
What Teachers Can and Cannot Do With AI
The policy draws clear lines for educators. Teachers may use approved AI tools for lesson planning, translating materials, and drafting communications with families. They may not use AI for grading student work, monitoring student behavior, providing counseling, or developing individualized education programs for students with disabilities.
The restrictions on grading and special education planning mirror the red-light prohibitions from the original March framework, suggesting that the administration viewed those guardrails as appropriate even when the broader policy was considered too permissive. The key shift is on the student-facing side, where the yellow light has been replaced with a firm prohibition for the majority of the student population.
NYC’s Decision Carries National Weight
New York City Public Schools is the largest school district in the United States, and its technology policies have historically influenced how other districts approach similar decisions. The Adams administration’s 2023 ban on ChatGPT, followed by its reversal months later, set off a wave of policy debates in school districts across the country.
Mayor Mamdani framed the new moratorium as a deliberate counter to industry pressure. In a statement released ahead of the announcement, Mamdani pushed back on what the administration views as a premature rush to integrate AI into early education. Chancellor Samuels echoed that position, stating that the Department of Education would not conflate innovation with more tech and that the city is focused on protecting the critical human connection, curiosity, and creativity that help children grow.
The city describes the moratorium as the most expansive AI restriction of its kind in the nation. A new task force composed of teachers, elected officials, subject matter experts, and union representatives will evaluate the policy’s effectiveness and produce a report by April 2027, which city officials have said will serve as the foundation for a longer-term AI framework for New York City classrooms.
