New York City to ban AI for middle, elementary school students under new policy
NEW YORK - No laptops, no tablets, and no artificial intelligence.
New York City announced sweeping new tech restrictions on roughly 600,000 middle and elementary school students beginning this fall.
What we know:
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels unveiled the new AI policy during a news conference Wednesday morning.
The policy, a 1-year moratorium on generative AI through eighth grade, will be in place for the start of the school year on Sept. 10, Mamdani said.
What they're saying:
"Just because technology is everywhere, doesn't mean it belongs everywhere. After all, each day when our children come to school, we teach them to ask questions, to challenge assumptions, to interrogate the premise, to ask why. When it comes to AI in our schools, we hold an obligation to do the same," Mamdani said.
"How can we protect their developing minds and how to we prepare them for a world in which new technologies will be increasingly built in?" the mayor added.
Dig deeper:
Under the city's new rules reported by the New York Times, students will not be allowed to use AI until high school, and even then, only in certain situations.
There will be some exemptions, including for students with disabilities and those still learning English.
Teachers will be able to use AI for lesson planning, translating materials and writing messages, but there are limits. For example, they cannot use AI to decide how to counsel a student in a crisis.
The city is also moving away from individual screens and will limit screen time.
Students will not be given their own laptop or tablet until third grade, at which point they could be limited to just 45 minutes per day until sixth grade.
The Source: This article includes information reported by The New York Times and statements from Mayor Zohran Mamdani.