US Schools: New York and Los Angeles Impose AI Moratoriums

New York and Los Angeles are implementing pauses surrounding the use of AI in schools, with different scopes depending on the grade levels and equipment. The initiative, already formalized in New York for 2026-27 for K-8, is dividing the tech community between calls for educational caution and fears of hindering the learning of tools.

The tech community is divided over the school ban

Several figures in the tech sector criticize the ban on AI in schools, deeming it regressive, while others see it as a precautionary measure in light of still-unknown effects. Sriram Krishnan believes that the impact of AI on children's development remains uncertain and that it is consistent not to automate cognitive skills before they are acquired, reminding that students must engage with reading, writing, mathematics, research, and reasoning to develop these skills. Zach Tratar argues that the effects of AI on children should remain experimental until more data is available, citing the example of the web, whose effects on communities were overestimated. Other industry leaders believe that restricting AI would be counterproductive in the face of a technology potentially as transformative as the Internet or computers. Noah Fichter emphasizes that schools are ill-equipped to handle AI, especially when school-specific chatbots lead to lower results. Ross Gerber explains that he has banned AI for his own children, while noting that all students are already using it. Dylan Itzikowitz laments the loss of a potential educational "great equalizer" and believes that children from privileged backgrounds will not be affected by the ban. Brendan Falk and Gabriel Petersson compare these moratoriums to the ban on computers in the 1990s, while Will Hobick considers the central issue to be teaching appropriate use of AI to middle school students. Sarah Shirazyan predicts that AI in the classroom will become a topic of public and electoral debate, highlighting that no good approach has been established and that these pauses serve to gather evidence.

Two moratoriums, two scopes: New York and Los Angeles

New York and Los Angeles are implementing moratoriums on AI in schools, but with distinct outlines. In Los Angeles, the measure concerns all students, including high schoolers, and applies for the rest of the school year only on district-owned devices and accounts. In New York, the plan led by Zohran Mamdani does not require approval from the city council. The announcements are part of a framework for a structured pause, without a uniform generalization.

What New York plans for K-8 and high school

The proposed moratorium in New York covers children from 2 years old up to 8th grade and could affect 600,000 students in public schools. For K-8 classes, Chancellor Kamar Samuels has already issued a directive making generative AI software unauthorized for the 2026-27 school year. High school students are not subject to the same ban: they will take two annual modules dedicated to critical thinking applied to AI. The system also includes screen time limits, adjusted according to the students' grade levels.