New York City Public Schools will pause student-facing AI tools for one year. The ban covers pupils from a preschool programme for two-year-olds through 8th grade. It applies during the 2026-27 school year and reaches about two-thirds of enrolment. The city is also setting daily screen time caps for grades 3 through 8, and tighter one-to-one limits for 2nd grade and below. Teachers may still use AI for lesson planning and administrative work. Students with disabilities, multilingual learners and career readiness pupils are exempt. Every technology tool will be reviewed and barred if judged not essential to learning. The system is ending use of Amira, disabling Google's Gemini and blocking AI companion chatbots on school devices. Five AI programmes will be piloted at high school level with vetted tools. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said AI-powered early education is neither inevitable nor necessary.

• 600,000 students affected
• two-thirds of NYC enrollment
• 30 min/day cap, grades 3-5
• 45 min/day cap, grades 6-8