Mamdani imposes one-year ban on AI for most NYC students

By Reuters | Updated: September 3, 2026

NEW YORK, Sept 2 (Reuters) – New York City officials announced a one-year moratorium on students using artificial intelligence in public ​elementary and middle schools, the latest step by ‌public officials to set guidelines around new technology in the classroom.

The move by the nation’s largest school district is the most ​restrictive to date across the U.S., though other districts, ​including Los Angeles, have said they are reviewing ⁠AI policies.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters on Wednesday that ​schools would halt the current use of about 40 ​educational tools in New York City classrooms.

“Children need teachers and human connection in order to learn and grow. They need to develop ​skills alongside their peers, build relationships with educators and ​wrestle with tough problems on their own,” Mamdani said at a press ‌conference.

Major ⁠AI developers Google, Anthropic and Microsoft did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

The policy will affect about 600,000 public school students through eighth grade, while high school ​students will be ​allowed to ⁠use AI in some cases. Teachers will be permitted to use AI for lesson ​planning and tasks such as scheduling, the ​city said ⁠in a statement.

New York City public schools previously imposed a temporary ban on ChatGPT soon after its rollout ⁠in ​2022. The restriction was later lifted ​and replaced by a custom AI-powered teaching assistant, according to Microsoft, part-owner ​of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.

Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova; editing by David Gaffen

© Thomson Reuters 2026