Mamdani Places a Temporary Halt on the Usage of Generative AI in Elementary and Middle Schools
By Sara Outar
Everywhere we turn AI is almost always being used. ChatGPT is offering four free months of ChatGPT plus to students, TikTok has an AI chatbot and Google, before just the guide to information, has become the source. At a time when companies are being encouraged to embrace AI, NYC has taken a shocking step in the opposite direction.
On Sept. 2nd, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuel placed a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI in children 2-k through 8th grade. This policy will take effect throughout the 2026-2027 school year and affect nearly 600,000 public school students. Mamdani stated, “The tech industry wants us to believe that A.I.-powered early education is not only inevitable, but necessary. We do not see it that way.”
This policy will discontinue the AI programs that were previously unmonitored in schools, such as chatbots, which will be banned for all grades. There are exceptions for students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and those in career readiness programs. All technology tools will have a thorough review and be assessed if it is critical to learning or not.
Elementary and middle school years are when children learn the core fundamentals: how to read, write, and solve math equations. While basic, these are essential skills needed to navigate the world. While everything in these years is a learning process, AI takes that struggle away from children. This convenience is exactly where the issue lies. How can a student learn to find their voice in writing when AI is doing their writing for them?
This concern is also deepened when we take into account what researchers call the current “literacy crisis.” According to the National Literacy Institute, 54% of adults have a literacy below a 6th-grade level and 20% are below 5th-grade level.
A recent study, titled “Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task,” observed the concerning differences in the brain of those who use AI bots, and those who don’t. Researchers, Kosmyna et al., divided 54 participants into three groups: one using an LLM, one using a search engine, and one using neither. They then measured brain activity and also evaluated participants' writing and ability to recall their own work. The researchers reported that the group without any technology showed the strongest patterns of brain connectivity, while the LLM group showed the weakest.
It’s important to note that this study was done on a group of adults, not children, so the results are not a one-to-one comparison. Still, the study raises concerns about the cognitive effects AI can have on the brain. Children’s brains are still developing, when they are being exposed to foundational skills, these concerns are especially important.
At a time where companies are racing to implement AI into every aspect of our lives, NYC’s moratorium gives us the time to reevaluate these technologies before classrooms are exposed to them.
Sara Outar is a sophomore pursuing her bachelor's degree in Childhood Education and English. She has always been passionate about reading and creating literature which led her to join The Paper. In her free time she enjoys fiber arts such as crocheting, knitting, and sewing.
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