Mamdani Issues AI Moratorium In NYC Schools

Kids "need to wrestle with tough problems on their own," New York's mayor said Wednesday. Mayor Zohran Mamdani holds a press conference to announce a one-year moratorium on student AI usage in NYC public schools. Get your news from a source that's not owned and controlled by oligarchs. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a one-year moratorium on AI use for elementary and middle school students on Wednesday. The decision, which comes a week before New York City public schools begin the year, "includes all software that uses student-facing generative AI." Elementary and middle school students--about 600,000 students in total--will Companion chatbots will also be prohibited for all grade levels. The city is also introducing biannual AI critical thinking training for high schoolers that cover determining what is and is not AI, impacts on careers and future skills, and AI-related biases, among others, along with limited pilot programs for a few classes per high school that incorporate AI tools into students' learning "under the direct supervision of a trained educator."