New York City bans generative AI in schools through 8th grade for 2026-27

New York City Public Schools has banned student-facing generative AI for grades 2-K through 8 for the entire 2026-27 school year, affecting nearly 600,000 students. Companion chatbots are prohibited district-wide, including high school, while approved AI tools remain available to teachers for lesson planning.

• Ban covers grades 2-K through 8 and nearly 600,000 students
• Companion chatbots banned at all grade levels, including high school
• High schoolers get supervised pilots capped at 45 minutes weekly
• AI barred from grading, behavior monitoring and placement decisions