By Gloria Drealomalicha
New York City is set to introduce restrictions on the use of generative artificial intelligence among younger schoolchildren as officials assess the technology’s impact on education.
The policy will affect the city’s public school system, the largest in the United States, and is expected to cover more than half a million pupils from pre-school through middle school.
New guidelines are expected to be announced as the new academic year begins, setting out how students will be allowed to use generative AI tools in schools.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city would impose a moratorium on generative AI for pupils covered by the policy while authorities examine its potential benefits and risks.
In a statement to ABC News, Mamdani said the city would spend the next year “studying the impacts of this technology”.
The move comes as schools and education authorities around the world grapple with how to respond to the rapid growth of AI tools capable of generating essays, images, computer code and other content.
While some educators see the technology as a potentially useful learning aid, others have raised concerns about academic integrity, over-reliance on AI and its possible effect on students’ learning and critical-thinking skills.
The New York City policy is expected to provide officials with time to assess those concerns before deciding how generative AI should be incorporated into classrooms in the longer term.
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