New York City bans student AI tools in schools through eighth grade for a year

On September 2, 2026, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that public school students from 2-K, a preschool program for two-year-olds, through eighth grade will not use student-facing generative AI tools, including chatbots and AI tutors, during the 2026-27 school year. K-12 Dive reported that about 600,000 students, roughly two-thirds of enrollment, are affected. Teachers may still use approved AI tools for tasks such as lesson planning, translation and drafting communications. The city also recommended screen time limits of 30 minutes a day for grades three to five and 45 minutes for grades six to eight, with restricted one-on-one device time for younger children. High school students will take AI literacy classes twice a year, and some will try a few vetted AI programs under teacher supervision. Mamdani said he had not seen a study, apart from research sponsored by companies, showing that AI benefits elementary and middle school students. Why it matters: Schools everywhere are deciding how young people should use AI, and New York City chose to pause it for younger children while teaching older students how it works. Source: Chalkbeat — https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2026/09/02/nyc-schools-to-set-ai-policy-ban-screen-time-limits/ Source: NY1 — https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2026/09/02/new-york-city-bans-ai-use-in-schools-through-eighth-grade Source: K-12 Dive — https://www.k12dive.com/news/new-york-city-pauses-ai-use-for-elementary-middle-school-students/829496/