বাংলাNew York City public schools are set to ban students through eighth grade from using artificial intelligence, or AI, under a new policy planned by the city administration led by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
According to an AFP report, teachers and parents have raised concerns about the potential impact of AI on children’s mental health and intellectual development, as well as its environmental effects. In the United States, high school generally begins in ninth grade.
A source familiar with the matter told AFP that under the new policy, AI use will be permitted only at the high school level. Even then, its use will be limited in certain areas, including learning about AI technology itself.
According to The New York Times, various AI “companion chatbots” that claim to provide emotional support will also be prohibited. Teachers, however, will be allowed to use AI for tasks such as preparing lesson plans and writing messages.
The new rules are expected to be announced on Wednesday. New York City Hall and the city’s education department did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.
Limits on digital screen use
The city’s education department has recommended limiting classroom digital screen use to 45 minutes for students in grades six through eight and 30 minutes for elementary school students. However, questions remain about how AI ban rules can be monitored when students use the technology outside school.
In March, the city released an initial framework for AI use. The New York City Public Schools guidance used a traffic-light system: red indicated prohibited uses, yellow required caution and human supervision, while green represented permitted uses.
Many parents and teachers considered the earlier framework too lenient because it allowed students to use AI for research, inquiry and creative projects. Following widespread criticism, schools chancellor Kamar Samuels said the authorities had failed to send the right message and that parents’ views would be carefully considered in future rules.
The education department also plans to establish a task force involving teachers, elected officials, experts and representatives of labor unions. The task force is expected to submit a report next April, which will help shape New York’s policy on AI use in schools.
With more than 900,000 students in the 2024–25 school year, New York City’s public school system is the largest in the United States. As a result, its policies on technology use in schools are closely watched across the country. The planned AI ban could therefore influence broader discussions about the role of artificial intelligence in education.
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