NYC, Los Angeles Moratoriums on School AI Use Could Influence More K–12 Districts

Now that classroom AI use is restricted in the nation’s two largest districts, schools of all sizes in various states could eventually follow suit.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Sept. 2 a one-year moratorium on classroom use of generative artificial intelligence tools for pre-K–8 grades, and all public high school students in New York City Public Schools will be required to complete AI awareness refresher courses twice a year.

On the same day in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the board of education ad hoc committee for generative AI learned that a district-wide K–12 moratorium on generative AI took effect last month, replacing the former policy where students age 13 and up were allowed to access those tools at school if they first completed a digital citizenship course. The change was implemented by district technology managers without the board’s knowledge.

“I know there was a call for it—a moratorium on AI—and it sounds like that is actually what is currently in place,” Kelly Gonez, board member and committee chair, said during the Sept. 2 committee meeting.

During the same meeting, committee member Nick Melvoin said the district should do more to let the community know these restrictions took effect.

In the Midwest, the Illinois Families for Public Schools citizens group is calling for a three-year moratorium on generative AI use in Chicago city schools, largely because of student privacy concerns, and urges voters to elect school board members who support that initiative in the Nov. 3 election.

Ahead of the 2027–2028 academic year, districts in the rest of the country will be watching closely as education leaders begin writing AI policy that may range from minimum supervision to full bans.

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, Grok, and many others can provide very specific written content or answers to questions in many subject areas. Mamdani said students don’t learn if digital tools provide them with conclusions they are supposed to arrive at on their own.

AI functions on 38 ed-tech products that are used in the New York City district will be disabled, while five tools will remain in use for career and technical education or professional workforce development programs in grades 9–12. Exceptions will be made for students with disabilities or those who are still learning English.

In May, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten called for a ban on digital learning environments for students in pre-kindergarten through second grade and said AI chatbots should not be available to any students younger than 16.

The Working Educators Navigating AI in the Classroom webpage lists legislation and policy nationally and by state. The U.S. Department of Education emphasizes “responsible adoption principles” but does not advocate bans. Thirty-five states have published official guidance. Several states either passed or have pending legislation requiring departments of education or school boards to develop AI policies.

David Hoyt, executive director for School Board for Academic Excellence, said AI classroom use is quickly becoming one of the most common issues for which school boards are seeking guidance.

“That principle applies to thought technologies, such as logic and rhetoric, as much as it does to computational technologies, like AI or computer science more broadly. The most effective policies we have seen boards implement are informed by this approach, limiting the use of AI to age and developmental appropriateness,” Hoyt told The Epoch Times.

Bridget Ziegler, chair of the Sarasota County Board of Education in Florida and director of school board action at the 1776 Project Foundation, said she advised her own district on AI use policies and dozens of others across the country. She calls moratoriums “political theater” and challenges school leaders to work harder in developing age-appropriate guardrails while remaining transparent with school communities every step of the way.

Too many school districts, she added, aren’t scrutinizing contracts with ed-tech vendors who falsely promise that their products will lead to improved academic achievement.

“A moratorium, to me, goes too far,” Ziegler told The Epoch Times.

A “zero technology” policy for elementary school grades is advisable, she said, but indiscriminately disabling AI functions on all tools used in middle and high schools is very short-sighted considering there are some products that protect privacy and engage the critical thought process without doing the work for students.

AI literacy should be a main focus for grades 5–8 before vetted technology is integrated into some non-core high school subjects like coding and entrepreneurship and other programs to help students develop an understanding of responsible AI use, along with leadership and innovation skills, according to a model policy developed by the 1776 Project Foundation and the Heritage Foundation.

“It’s important to make sure there’s transparency from the start,” Ziegler said. “Consumer education is a part of this. Vendors are trying to sell the best, shiniest new things. There are some common-sense frameworks, but it’s still a work in progress.”