New York bans AI learning for students below 8th grade

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announces a one-year ban

on artificial intelligence for younger city students

in the upcoming school year.

The one-year moratorium for US' largest school district

is part of a wider assessment of how children interact with the technology

and will include "all software that uses student-facing generative AI"

for students up to 8th grade.

The city, however, is launching five AI pilot

programmes for high school students.

“In no way, shape or form will AI replace

student-teacher interaction. It is the foundation of our students

educational experience that will not change. These pilots will

have defined learning goals. Their use will be limited to a maximum

of 45 minutes per week under direct teacher supervision.

And none of these programmes are chat bots. We know that AI is already

found its way into many educational products that are being used in our

classroom, sometimes without meaningful guardrails or oversight.

That changes today. As part of this policy, we will fully discontinue or disable the

AI components of more than 38 previously allowed programmes that do

not meet our new safety and oversight standards. We will embrace

new technology, but only when it serves our students,” Mamdani says.

New York bans AI learning for students below 8th grade