NEW YORK CITY TO BAN AI USE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE
Read Time:2 Minute, 8 Second
Agency report
New York City will ban students in public schools from using artificial intelligence through eighth grade, a source close to the matter told AFP on Wednesday, confirming US media reports.
The move comes amid concerns from teachers and parents about the potential impact of AI use on children’s mental health and cognitive development, as well as its environmental effects.
Under the new rules, AI use will only be permitted in high school, which begins in ninth grade in the American school system, the source said.
Even at that level, its use will be restricted to specific purposes, including learning about the technology itself.
Eighth-grade students in the US are typically around 13 years old.
New York City Hall and the city’s education department did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.
According to the New York Times, AI “companion chatbots” that offer psychological support will also be prohibited.
The rules will, however, allow teachers to use AI for tasks such as preparing lessons and drafting messages.
The new rules are expected to be announced on Wednesday, the Times reported.
The city’s education department currently recommends limiting screen time to 45 minutes per class for middle school students in sixth through eighth grade, and 30 minutes for elementary school pupils.
However, questions remain about how AI use will be monitored, given that students can access the technology outside the school environment.
The new restrictions follow an initial framework published in March, which introduced a traffic-light system to determine the tasks for which AI could be used.
The framework permitted students to use AI for research, exploration and creative projects, but sparked criticism from many parents and teachers who considered the guidelines too lenient.
In response, the city’s schools chancellor, Kamar Samuels, said leaders had “missed the mark” in their communications and that his office would carefully review parents’ feedback for incorporation into future rules.
The city had previously said it planned to follow the March framework with a more comprehensive “guidebook” that would take the feedback into account.
The education department will also establish a task force comprising teachers, elected officials, experts and union representatives.
The task force is expected to produce a report in April, which will serve as the basis for New York’s policy on AI use in schools.
New York City’s public school technology policies are closely watched across the United States, as the city operates the country’s largest school district, with more than 900,000 students in the 2024–2025 school year.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0