New York City Public Schools, the nation's largest school district, is banning more than 500,000 students from using AI for the 2026-2027 academic year. The ban covers students from pre-K through 8th grade, in what the district calls the nation's broadest AI moratorium.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said: "The tech industry wants us to believe that AI-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary. We do not see it that way." The district will spend the next year studying AI's impacts before deciding on next steps.
The ban prohibits student-facing AI software and companion chatbots. High school students are exempt but must attend twice-yearly AI literacy classes. The policy follows last year's bell-to-bell cell phone ban, reflecting NYC's cautious approach to technology in education.