Sept. 2 (UPI) — The New York City Department of Education is preparing to roll out a new policy banning the use of AI in elementary and middle schools.
The New York City Public School District confirmed the incoming policy on Wednesday which will soon be announced by the department of education.
With the new policy, students will be barred from using AI in school until they reach high school. At the high school level, AI use will only be permitted under certain circumstances.
“The tech industry wants us to believe that AI-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement. “We do not see it that way.”
Mamdani added that the New York City Public School District will implement a moratorium on generative AI as it studies its effects over the next year. It is the largest school district in the country with about 600,000 students in elementary and middle schools.
While the new policy restricts the use of AI, it has carved out exceptions for “centrally approved instructional programs.” This includes programs that involve coding software. AI will also be allowed for some tools that assist students with disabilities and English language learners.
Other technology related restrictions are also coming with the city’s new policies, including a ban on AI chatbots in all grades and a recommendation to limit middle schoolers to 45 minutes of screen time per day.
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