New York City to ban student AI use through eighth grade

New York City plans to bar students through eighth grade from using artificial intelligence in its public schools, after parents and teachers warned about possible effects on children’s mental health and cognitive development.

The restriction will cover students up to eighth grade, who are typically about 13 years old. AI use will be permitted in high school, beginning in ninth grade, but only for limited purposes such as learning about the technology itself. The rules are also expected to prohibit AI “companion chatbots” that offer psychological support.

Teachers will still be allowed to use AI for tasks such as preparing lessons and drafting messages. The city’s education department recommends limiting classroom screen time to 45 minutes for middle school students and 30 minutes for elementary pupils. Monitoring student AI use could prove difficult because much of it happens outside school.

The policy follows an initial framework published in March. That framework used a traffic-light system and allowed AI for research, exploration and creative projects, but many parents and teachers called it too lenient. Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said leaders had “missed the mark” in communicating the plan and promised to review parental feedback.

A task force including teachers, elected officials, experts and union representatives will prepare a report in April to guide New York’s broader AI-in-schools policy. The city’s public school system, which serves more than 900,000 students, is closely watched across the United States.

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