Mamdani bans AI use in NYC elementary, middle schools amid tech industry skepticism

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) on Wednesday unveiled a one-year moratorium on AI use in public school classrooms through eighth grade, days before students return to school in the Big Apple.

The ban on generative AI applies to classrooms starting with care and learning for 2-year-olds and extends to the final year of middle school. Under the policy, public high schoolers in New York City will take two AI critical thinking classes during the 2026-27 school year.

A “small” number of high school classrooms, a maximum of five classes per school, will also have access to AI pilot platforms under the “direct supervision” of a teacher, Mamdani’s office noted in a release . The use of AI chatbots, meanwhile, is banned across all grades.

Mamdani said Wednesday that children “need their teachers and human connection in order to learn and in order to grow” in the classroom.

“They need to develop skills alongside their peers, build relationships with their teachers and wrestle with tough problems on their own,” he said at a press conference .

“The tech industry wants us to believe that AI in early education is not only inevitable, but that it is necessary. We do not see it that way,” he added.

The new academic year for New York City public schools starts Sept. 10 and ends June 28.

A study released Wednesday by IBM found AI’s application in K-12 classrooms is outpacing how prepared schools are to manage it.

The survey found that 45 percent of elementary school teachers, 76 percent of middle school teachers and 73 percent of high schoolers reported using AI in their classroom at least weekly.

But only 2 in 10 K-12 educators told IBM they have received “extensive” AI literacy training. Only 20 percent of parents, at the same time, said they clearly understood the AI guidance their child received at school.

Mamdani said teaching high schoolers about AI is an acknowledgement of a world “saturated” by the technology.

“We cannot pretend that that world does not exist,” he noted. “It would be irresponsible to not prepare our children for the fast-evolving technological future that lies ahead.”

“In no way, shape or form will AI replace student-teacher interaction. It is the foundation of our students’ educational experience. That will not change,” Mamdani added, noting New York City high schoolers with access to the AI pilot platforms can use them for up to 45 minutes per week.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) praised Mamdani for the moratorium, saying in his office’s release the mayor is “pushing our shared commitment to supporting New York’s kids forward.”