NEW YORK (PIX11) — Questions are swirling among New York City parents and educators over how artificial intelligence should be used in the classroom.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced Wednesday that the city is imposing a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI for students in 2-K through eighth grade.
Generative AI banned for some NYC Public Schools students
The move comes just days before classes return and will impact nearly 600,000 students across the five boroughs.
“We’re implementing a moratorium on generative AI,” Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said. According to the chancellor, the goal is to make sure technology does not replace the learning process. “I don’t want technology to do our students’ thinking for them,” Samuels said.
Under the new policy, the Department of Education will disable AI features in 38 software programs that were previously allowed in city schools.
Student-facing generative AI will be prohibited for students in 2-K through eighth grade, while high school students will still be able to learn about and use the technology in limited, closely monitored settings.
The city will also introduce twice-yearly AI literacy lessons for high school students focused on topics including bias, ethics, risks and critical thinking.
For some parents, the restrictions are welcome. Dr. Karilis Salas is a mother of two and a neuroscientist who has advocated for an AI ban in the classroom.
She points to research examining the impact of generative AI on brain activity. “When you use generative AI, the brain circuits that are involved in things like language processing, critical thinking, problem solving, that activation is reduced by 47%, compared to someone who just use Google as a research tool,” Salas said.
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But other parents believe there may be a better way to approach AI in schools.
Jeff Mohl says teaching students how to use the technology responsibly could be more effective than simply restricting it. “I think, you know, I think if the goal is to pause things so that students, you know, have the opportunity to teach students how to use it properly, I think that’s really important because I think AI can be great and is great. I use it. You know, in my everyday life,” Mohl said.
And not every form of AI is being prohibited.
Kiddom Atlas, for example, is an AI-powered platform used in some schools in the Bronx and Brooklyn. The company says it helps teachers analyze student work and identify learning gaps.
Its co-founder says that kind of technology can help educators better understand what their students need. “It helps teachers understand exactly what students need, serves them the right material to get them to the grade level work they need,” said Abbas Manjee, co-founder of Kiddom Atlas.
Manjee says New York City has an opportunity to balance the potential benefits of AI with concerns over student data and learning. “I think New York has this rare opportunity to ensure that students data is protected, students learn how to cognitively succeed, and at the same time ensure that companies can innovate,” Manjee said.
The moratorium will be in effect throughout the 2026-27 school year while a new Technology in Schools Coalition studies the impact of AI and makes recommendations for future policies.
Classes begin next Thursday.
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