New York, New York — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a one-year moratorium on generative artificial intelligence in public school classrooms through eighth grade, arguing that younger students need more direct interaction with teachers and classmates.
The policy applies from early-childhood programs through middle school and takes effect as students return for the 2026-27 academic year. AI chatbots will be prohibited across all grade levels.
High school students will face different rules. They will take two AI-focused critical thinking classes during the school year, while a limited number of classrooms — no more than five per school — may participate in supervised AI pilot programs. Students in those pilots will be allowed to use approved platforms for up to 45 minutes per week.
Mamdani said students should “wrestle with tough problems on their own” and argued that technology companies have overstated the necessity of AI in early education.
The move comes as schools nationwide struggle to establish rules for rapidly expanding AI use. An IBM study released Wednesday found that 45% of elementary teachers and 76% of middle school teachers reported using AI in classrooms at least weekly. Yet only 20% of K-12 educators said they had received extensive AI literacy training.
Mamdani said high school instruction recognizes that students will enter a world increasingly shaped by AI, while insisting the technology should not replace student-teacher relationships.
Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed the moratorium.
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