New York City To Restrict AI Use In Public Schools To Eighth Grade | Sahara Reporters
Under the new rules, AI use will only be permitted in high school, which begins in ninth grade in the US education system.
New York City is set to ban students in public schools from using artificial intelligence (AI) through eighth grade, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The move, reported by United States media and confirmed to AFP on Wednesday, follows concerns from teachers and parents about the potential impact of AI on children’s mental health and cognitive development, as well as its environmental effects.
Under the new rules, AI use will only be permitted in high school, which begins in ninth grade in the US education system.
Even then, its use will be restricted to specific purposes, including learning about AI technology itself.
Eighth-grade students in the United States are typically around 13 years old.
According to the New York Times, the policy will also prohibit the use of AI “companion chatbots” designed to provide psychological support.
Teachers, however, will still be allowed to use AI for tasks such as lesson preparation and drafting messages.
The new rules were expected to be announced on Wednesday, the Times reported.
The policy follows an earlier framework released by the city in March, which introduced a traffic-light system to determine when students could use AI.
The framework permitted AI use for activities such as research, exploration and creative projects.
However, the approach faced criticism from parents and teachers who described it as too permissive.
New York schools chancellor Kamar Samuels acknowledged the criticism, saying school leaders had “missed the mark” in communicating the policy.
He said his office would review feedback from parents and consider it when developing future rules.
The city’s education department had previously said it planned to replace the March framework with a more comprehensive guidebook that would incorporate feedback.
A task force comprising teachers, elected officials, experts and union representatives will also be established to examine AI use in schools.
The task force is expected to produce a report in April, which will form the basis of New York City’s policy on AI in schools.
New York City’s public school technology policies are closely monitored across the United States because the city operates the country’s largest school district, with more than 900,000 students in the 2024–2025 school year.