New York City is taking two different approaches to generative AI in its public schools this year. Students from 2-K through eighth grade are barred from using student-facing generative AI, while high school students are being taught how AI works and given limited, supervised opportunities to use approved tools.

"Beginning this school year, we will implement a one-year moratorium on generative AI for students in 2-K through eighth grade," Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani said at the September 2 announcement.

The one-year moratorium covers nearly 600,000 students, about two-thirds of the city's public-school enrollment, while the high-school program adds AI literacy classes and a small number of controlled pilots.

The policy is scheduled to run through the school year, with a Technology in Schools Coalition expected to issue recommendations for what comes next in April 2027.

The restriction applies to student-facing generative AI, meaning software that creates text, images, audio or other content in response to a student's instructions. It does not prohibit every technology that uses AI.

Students can continue using assistive technology required under an IEP or 504 Plan, and the city's guidance preserves necessary tools for students with disabilities and English-language learners. Career-readiness programs can also use certain AI tools where they are needed for the relevant coursework.

"Companion chatbots will be prohibited across all grades," according to the NYC Public Schools policy for the 2026–27 school year. The city is also reviewing technology already used in classrooms.

Officials said more than 38 previously allowed programs would have their AI components disabled or be discontinued where those components cannot be switched off. Amira and HMH products were specifically discussed during the September 2 announcement.

"All high school students will be required to complete two 45-minute AI literacy modules which will include lessons on how AI works, data privacy and bias, and appropriate uses of AI in school," NYC Public Schools says in its official guidance.

NYC Public Schools is also running a maximum of approved AI pilot programs per high school. "Five pilots have been centrally approved for grades 9–12 (Quill, Edia, Brisk Teaching, Playlab, and Intel AI-Ready Schools)," NYC Public Schools says.

The city says the programs were selected using safety and data-privacy standards, and the mayor's announcement said the pilots do not introduce general-purpose chatbots such as ChatGPT or Claude into the curriculum.

Career and technical education and other approved career-readiness programs have a separate pathway for students who need AI tools to develop job-related skills.

"This policy is not one that is set in stone. It is by design a finite one-year policy," Mayor Mamdani said at the September 2 announcement, explaining that the city would monitor the programs and evaluate their impact during the school year. Its recommendations for future school years are due in April 2027.

The policy has drawn criticism from both sides of the debate over how quickly schools should adopt AI. Josh Golin, executive director of Fairplay, said he supported the restrictions but wanted a longer pause and more time to evaluate whether AI tools are safe and effective for children.

The city's position is defined by grade level rather than a single rule for every student: no student-facing generative AI through eighth grade, mandatory AI literacy in high school, and tightly controlled use in selected programs. The April 2027 coalition report is the next formal point at which the city plans to reconsider that framework.