New York City public schools will prohibit student use of generative artificial intelligence tools in grades 2-K through eighth grade starting with the 2026-27 school year.

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels announced the policy on Wednesday. It represents one of the broadest restrictions on the technology in any U.S. school district and will affect nearly 600,000 students, or about two-thirds of the city's public school enrollment.

The New York Daily News first reported the details. The moratorium bars all student-facing generative AI software, including instructional programs, AI tutors, and companion chatbots, across the affected grades. Officials said the rules aim to preserve human interaction and hands-on learning for younger children.

New screen time guidelines accompany the AI restrictions. Students in 2-K through second grade will not receive individual devices for classroom use. The policy recommends no more than 30 minutes of daily 1:1 screen time for grades 3 through 5 and 45 minutes for grades 6 through 8.

High school students will face limited and vetted access to AI tools. Approved pilots will run in a small number of classrooms, and all high schoolers will receive twice-yearly lessons on AI literacy, ethics, and critical thinking. Teachers may continue using AI for lesson planning and administrative tasks that meet city safety standards.

Exceptions will allow assistive technology for students with disabilities and multilingual learners. The Department of Education plans to review and disable AI features in 38 existing software programs.

City leaders described the measures as prioritizing child development over rapid technological adoption. The policy takes effect as students return to classrooms next week.