New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels announced a one-year moratorium on the use of generative AI by students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade in the city's public schools, effective for the 2026-2027 school year. ^[1] High school students will receive two 45-minute annual modules on critical evaluation of AI, and up to 50,000 students (about 5% of public enrollment) may join five pilot AI projects capped at five classes per school and supervised by trained educators. ^[2] The moratorium covers approximately 600,000 students, about two-thirds of New York City's public school enrollment, according to the city administration. ^[3] The policy prohibits generative AI programs used directly with students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade and bans companion chatbots in all grades. ^[4] Mayor Mamdani stated the district will discontinue or disable the AI components of more than 38 previously allowed programs that do not meet new safety and oversight standards. ^[5] The decision will affect roughly 600,000 public school students, or roughly two-thirds of the system's total enrollment. ^[6] Under the new policy, teachers will be allowed to use AI to plan lessons and perform operational tasks but will not be allowed to use it for grading or student assessments. ^[7]