New York City Bans AI in Primary Schools
New York City is imposing a one-year moratorium on generative AI for pupils from 2-K through eighth grade, removing student-facing AI software and companion chatbots for around 600,000 children, starting with the 2026-27 school year.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani described it as a refusal of the tech industry’s push for AI in education, stating: "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 is removing AI software rather than issuing guidance. All student-facing generative AI is being eliminated, and companion chatbots are banned outright. High schools are exempt but can participate in pilot programs with limited access.
This follows Norway’s ban on AI in primary schools in June for grades one to seven, and Europe’s AI rulebook which classifies education uses as high risk. While the EU AI Act covers the system that admits a child and detects prohibited behavior, it doesn’t address AI used to write essays or complete homework.
One member state, Italy, has already implemented parental consent requirements for under-14s using AI since October 2023.