NYC Releases Its First Ever Comprehensive AI Guidelines

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) released a new AI policy for the 2026-2027 school year on September 2. Following months of backlash to preliminary AI guidelines released in March 2026, the new policy includes a one-year moratorium on generative AI for students in grades 2K through eight and restricted AI usage for high schoolers. However, as the policy was released just eight days before the beginning of the school year on September 10, questions remain regarding how it will operate in practice. 

NYCPS originally released preliminary AI guidelines in March 2026. The draft utilized a “traffic-light” system to categorize when AI was prohibited, required caution, or was acceptable to use in schools. However, the system primarily detailed administrative and teacher usage, giving minimal guidance for student use. Consequently, 29 out of 51 NYC council members called for a two-year AI moratorium across NYC education in June 2026. Officials cited concerns for students’ mental health and cognitive development, supported by an Action Network petition that garnered over 6,000 signatures. 

Although the two-year moratorium was not adopted, generative AI is banned for students in 2K through eighth grade for the 2026-2027 school year. “I feel as though AI has no place in education,” said sophomore Olivia Lin. She, along with other students, supported the proposed moratorium in June 2026.

Conversely, some students occasionally rely on AI for academic support. “I mostly use it to study for tests,” sophomore Tahsina Rahman said. However, Rahman agreed with the new limits. “It’s great that schools are restricting its use […] as it is a huge deprivation of our critical thinking abilities,” she said.

High school students face a distinct set of rules. Students in grades nine through twelve are allowed to apply for up to five AI pilots—Quill, Edia, Brisk Teaching, Playlab, and Intel AI-Ready Schools—though only one can be approved. These pilots would be used in school one to two times a week to support understanding work while maintaining independent thinking. NYCPS emphasized that these programs will not replace human educators. 

Teachers are also subject to specific guidelines. Educators may use AI for lesson planning, translation, drafting communications, and administrative tasks, but AI remains prohibited for grading, behavioral monitoring, or 504 and IEP planning “On one hand, if educators are instructing students not to use AI at all, I think that should be reflected in the teacher’s instruction […] At the same time, the work of a teacher can be insurmountable, and I do see a lot of potential for AI to be used positively […] AI can be very useful in creating more accessible materials for English language learners and students with disabilities. However, using AI to grade? Absolutely not,” said Christina Fentekes, a Global Studies teacher at Stuy during the 2025-2026 school year.

As the 2026-2027 academic year begins, students and staff are navigating these new regulations while NYCPS plans to monitor the policy’s impact throughout the year.