New York City's public school system, the largest school district in the United States, has decided to ban the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in classrooms for children from early childhood education through middle school for one year, while also limiting screen time.

Ahead of the new school year starting on the 10th, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYC Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced the new school AI and electronic device usage policy on the 2nd local time.

The policy applies to students ranging from 2-K, which covers early childhood education for age 2 by South Korean standards, up to elementary and middle school grades spanning 2nd through 8th grade.

Starting with the 2026-2027 school year, New York City will completely ban the use of student-facing generative AI software by these students for one year.

Additionally, AI chatbots that converse with students to assist with learning will also be prohibited.

The policy is estimated to affect approximately 600,000 students, accounting for about two-thirds of all New York City public school students.

Furthermore, the use of one-to-one digital devices will be restricted for students in the 2nd grade and below, while recommended screen time caps will be set at 30 minutes per day for grades 3 through 5, and 45 minutes per day for grades 6 through 8.

However, exemptions will apply for students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and programs designed for career preparation such as computer science.

In May, the U.S. Surgeon General warned of health risks associated with excessive screen use among children and adolescents, and the Los Angeles Unified School District previously announced similar measures restricting the use of smartphones and other electronic devices in schools.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)