Overview
- The Department of Education plans to release the policy on Wednesday, and it would ban student‑facing generative AI tools for 2‑K through eighth grade and bar giving individual devices to children in preschool through second grade.
- The draft sets recommended daily limits on individual‑device screen time of about 30 minutes for grades 3–5 and 45 minutes for middle school and outlaws companion chatbots that offer emotional support.
- Teachers may use centrally approved AI tools for tasks such as lesson planning, translation, and drafting communications but may not use AI for grading, monitoring behavior, counseling, or creating special‑education plans.
- The rules carve out exceptions for centrally approved instructional programs, some student tests, and supports for English learners and students with disabilities, yet enforcement plans and how to handle vendor platforms that embed AI remain unclear.
- The policy follows sustained pressure from parents and many City Council members and could influence how other large districts and education vendors limit classroom AI and device use.