NYC bans AI use for students until they reach high school

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a one-year moratorium on classroom AI use for students below high school. The ban starts in the 2026-2027 school year and affects about 600,000 public school students in 2-K through eighth grade. NYC’s Department of Education will bar teachers from using AI tools to grade assignments and will keep students from using AI in class until high school. Mamdani said chatbot products marketed for companionship and mental support are banned in all grades. High schoolers will use AI only in specific cases, with AI literacy classes twice a year, and limited pilots in up to five classes using vetted tools.