New York City's mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has established the most stringent regulations to date on AI tool usage within schools for younger students across the nation's largest school district — at least for the time being. Certain education experts believe this represents a positive move toward effectively harnessing AI for the benefit of children in an academic setting.
Mayor Mamdani has declared that public schools in New York City will prohibit the use of generative AI tools for elementary and middle school students starting in the upcoming academic year. According to a statement from the mayor, this one-year moratorium, impacting over 600,000 students, aims to provide city education officials with the necessary time to "examine the consequences of this technology." This decision emerges amid intense nationwide discussions about the appropriate role of AI in American students' education and how parents and teachers can optimally equip children for future success.
Some parent groups have already voiced concerns that AI tools could facilitate easier cheating in schools or lead to an over-reliance on technology, potentially weakening creative and critical thinking skills. Conversely, supporters of AI in classrooms argue that the technology is becoming ubiquitous in modern society, and students would gain an advantage by learning early on how to use it effectively and ethically.
New York's new directive has drawn criticism from both sides of the debate. Some detractors argue the city is denying students access to valuable learning resources and the opportunity to develop essential AI literacy skills. Others contend the new policy isn't stringent enough in its prohibitions: reports indicate students will still be permitted to use "center-approved instructional programs," and high school students are largely excluded from the ban.
Bree Dusseault, the principal and managing director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, an Arizona State University-affiliated research organization that tracks AI adoption in school districts nationwide, noted that New York's new policy appears reasonable at first glance for parents who want their children to learn responsible AI usage without becoming overly dependent on it. Dusseault explained that a temporary and limited moratorium "represents a clear yet flexible policy approach that is necessary during these rapidly evolving times." She pointed out that the policy's ultimate success will hinge on what city officials uncover while studying the impact of educational AI tools over the coming year. She added that, at least theoretically, officials' findings could also assist parents across the country in finding the right balance with AI education at home.
Other school districts nationwide are likely paying close attention. New York City often serves as a bellwether: following the city's and Los Angeles's decisions to block access to ChatGPT in schools back in 2023, a wave of other cities followed suit. Notably, New York later reversed that initial decision. According to research from the College Board published in October 2025, nearly 40% of American schools have banned AI tool usage in classrooms, with many ultimately leaving the decision to individual teachers.
According to the city's press release, New York's new policy will apply to "all software utilizing generative AI directed at students." Furthermore, students in third grade and below are prohibited from using personal screening devices, and students from ages two through high school are barred from using companion chatbots that simulate emotional connections and friendships. Teachers will be allowed to use AI tools for lesson planning and administrative tasks, but not for grading assignments.
Dusseault highlighted that the moratorium is balanced by strategic city investments, including AI literacy courses for high school students and various pilot projects that will test educational AI tools with a limited number of high schoolers in supervised environments. Dr. Nicole Barnes, the executive chief psychologist for education at the American Psychological Association (APA), stated that if the city spends the next year testing and identifying AI educational tools that meet high data privacy standards and genuinely help students learn and think critically — rather than merely capturing their attention — these policies could prove effective and even a "home run."
According to an APA report co-authored by Barnes and released on Thursday, educational technology products built on generative AI frequently make unsubstantiated claims about improving learning and critical thinking in younger students. The report found that features which successfully engage children and boost participation are often mistakenly perceived as fostering true learning. Barnes said effective tools should have a proven track record of helping students "retain and apply knowledge" while also maintaining interpersonal interactions with teachers and peers, which the APA's research has identified as crucial for supporting effective learning. She also expressed support for teaching AI literacy to parents and families, informing them about the technology's benefits and drawbacks, and how children can best use these tools safely and effectively.
Barnes emphasized that children do not need "unlimited access to AI" to acquire AI literacy. Her advice to parents and teachers is to start educating children early, including teaching them that "AI can make mistakes" and that critical thinking skills are still best performed by humans. She recommends monitoring the tools children use, if they use any, and how they interact with them, to ensure they are absorbing information rather than merely being entertained by the technology. Meanwhile, Barnes praised New York for having "the courage to slow down, ask the difficult questions, and engage in the challenging work," adding, "Part of that work involves demanding evidence that we are truly receiving the claimed benefits from AI."
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