{"slug": "new-york-city-to-ban-ai-in-public-schools-through-eighth-grade", "title": "New York City to ban AI in public schools through eighth grade", "summary": "New York City will ban artificial intelligence use for public school students through eighth grade, a source told AFP on Wednesday, with AI allowed only in high school for limited purposes such as learning about the technology. The ban, set to be announced Wednesday, follows parent and teacher concerns about AI's impact on children's mental health and cognitive development, and applies to the city's over 900,000 students in 2024–2025.", "body_md": "## New York City to ban AI in public schools through eighth grade\n\nNew York, New York - **New York City will ban the use of **[artificial intelligence](https://www.tag24.com/en/tech)** for students in public schools through eighth grade, a source close to the matter told AFP on Wednesday, confirming media reports.**\n\nTeachers and parents have warned against the use of AI in schools over concerns about harming children's mental health and cognitive development, as well as environmental damage.\n\nAI use will only be allowed in high school, which begins in the ninth grade, the source said.\n\nEven then, it will be limited to specific uses, such as learning about the technology itself, they said.\n\nEighth graders are typically about 13 years old.\n\nNew York City Hall and the city's education department did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.\n\nAccording to the New York Times, AI \"companion chatbots\" offering psychological support will also be banned.\n\nThe rules, however, allow teachers to use AI for tasks including preparing lessons or writing messages.\n\n**The new rules are to be announced on Wednesday, the Times reported.**\n\n### Questions remain over how to monitor AI use\n\nThe city's education department recommends limiting screen time to 45 minutes in class for middle schoolers – sixth through eighth grade – and 30 minutes for elementary school students.\n\nBut the question remains of how to monitor AI use, since it often takes place outside the school environment.\n\nThe new rules follow an initial framework published in March, which used a traffic light system to determine which tasks AI would be used for.\n\nThe framework, which allowed students to use AI for research, exploration, and creative projects, sparked fury among many parents and teachers who considered it too lenient.\n\nIn response, the city's schools chancellor Kamar Samuels said leaders had \"missed the mark\" in their communications, adding his office would carefully review parents' feedback for incorporation into future rules.\n\nThe city had long planned to follow the March framework with a more comprehensive \"guidebook\" to take feedback into account, the education department has said.\n\nThe department will set up a task force made up of teachers, elected officials, experts, and union representatives.\n\nThe task force is to produce a report in April, intended to serve as the basis for New York's AI-in-schools policy.\n\n**The city's public school technology policies are closely watched by the rest of the US, as it is by far the largest school district in the country, with over 900,000 students in 2024–2025.**\n\nCover photo: SPENCER PLATT / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/new-york-city-to-ban-ai-in-public-schools-through-eighth-grade", "canonical_source": "https://www.tag24.com/en/tech/new-york-city-to-ban-ai-in-public-schools-through-eighth-grade-3529235", "published_at": "2026-09-02 11:27:46+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-09-02 11:54:31.901033+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy", "ai-ethics"], "entities": ["New York City", "AFP", "New York Times", "Kamar Samuels"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/new-york-city-to-ban-ai-in-public-schools-through-eighth-grade", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/new-york-city-to-ban-ai-in-public-schools-through-eighth-grade.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/new-york-city-to-ban-ai-in-public-schools-through-eighth-grade.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/new-york-city-to-ban-ai-in-public-schools-through-eighth-grade.jsonld"}}