Published : 03 Sep 2026, 06:22 AM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:47 AM
New York City is set to announce a sweeping tech overhaul banning public school students through the eighth grade from using artificial intelligence (AI), according to a report by The Guardian.
The prohibition takes effect next week across the United States' largest school district, which serves around 900,000 students a year.
The report said AI tools are strictly banned for students through eighth grade (ages 13–14). Ninth through twelfth graders may use AI only under limited circumstances, such as studying the technology itself.
The classrooms will keep students off laptops and tablets entirely through the third grade (ages 9–10). Middle school class screen time will be capped at 45 minutes, and elementary school screen time at 30 minutes.
AI "companion chatbots" offered for psychological support are completely banned, the report said.
Educators may use AI for administrative tasks like lesson planning, but they are strictly forbidden from using software to grade assignments.
The policy shift follows intense pushback from parents and teachers over mental health risks, environmental impacts, and "cognitive surrender" -- a phenomenon where students abdicate critical thinking to software.
Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels acknowledged officials "missed the mark" with an earlier, more lenient policy framework released in March.
To refine future policy, the city's education department is launching a taskforce of teachers, experts, and union representatives to deliver a comprehensive policy report in April.
