New York City bans the use of generated AI in public schools for children under junior high school age

New York City announced on the 2nd that it will, in principle, prohibit the use of generative AI (artificial intelligence) in public schools in the city for children under junior high school age. The trial will run for one year in the new fiscal year, which began in September.

Approximately 600,000 students will be targeted up to the eighth grade, the final year of junior high school (second year of middle school in Japan). There will also be a maximum limit of 45 minutes per day on screen time on electronic devices, depending on the grade level. At high schools, an educational program related to AI will be introduced on a trial basis.

For the next year and beyond, children, students, parents, and experts will participate in the examination and make recommendations. According to the city, this is the most extensive restriction on the use of AI for students in the United States.

At a press conference, Mayor Mamdani emphasized, ``We have a responsibility to think about how to prepare society for the incorporation of new technology.'' He emphasized that for children to grow, ``they need to build relationships with their classmates and teachers and tackle difficult problems on their own.''