New York City Public Schools is taking a sweeping approach to classroom technology, barring most students from using generative artificial intelligence in school for the upcoming academic year.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced Wednesday that the nation’s largest school system will launch a one-year pause on student-facing generative AI from Pre-K and 2-K through eighth grade, affecting more than 500,000 students. City officials say the yearlong moratorium will give the school system time to evaluate how AI is affecting students and learning.

The restrictions extend beyond artificial intelligence. Schools will also face new limits on student screen use, with individual digital devices prohibited for students through second grade. Beginning in third grade, schools will receive recommended limits on screen time, including a suggested maximum of 45 minutes per day for middle school students.

The rules do not prevent educators from using AI. Teachers will still be permitted to use the technology for tasks such as preparing lessons, translating materials and drafting communications.

There will also be exceptions for certain students. AI-related tools may continue to be used as assistive technology for students with disabilities, by multilingual learners and in career-readiness programs such as computer science.

Mental-health chatbot programs will face an even broader restriction, with companion-style AI chatbots prohibited throughout the entire school system.

At the same time, the city plans to introduce AI-literacy instruction for high school students twice a year. The goal is to teach students how to critically evaluate the technology and understand its limitations before becoming heavily dependent on it.

City officials also say existing educational technology will undergo an extensive review. Tools that are not considered essential to instruction could be removed, with the review examining issues including student safety, vendor transparency, ethics, educational design, instructional effectiveness, previous research and feedback from users.

The policy places New York City among the school systems taking some of the strongest steps to limit the role of AI and digital devices in classrooms, while the city studies how the rapidly developing technology should be incorporated into education.