New York City and Los Angeles school districts issue generative AI restrictions for 2026-27 school year

The two largest U.S. public school districts, New York City and Los Angeles, announced new restrictions on student use of artificial intelligence in early September 2026. New York City announced a one-year moratorium on generative AI for students in grades 2-K through 8 during the 2026-27 school year, while high school students may use certain approved AI tools only under teacher supervision and must complete two 45-minute AI-literacy lessons. The Los Angeles Unified School District imposed a moratorium on AI on district-owned devices for the current school year but did not establish a policy for students' use of generative AI on personal devices.

This is the first time the two largest U.S. public school districts have issued an enforceable framework for student generative AI use in the same school year, directly affecting the classroom tool choices and teacher supervision duties for millions of students. New York City ties its moratorium to AI-literacy lessons, adding a teaching requirement alongside the restriction; Los Angeles draws the line by device ownership, so the same student may face different rules on and off campus. Whether the limits can be enforced depends on the districts' ability to identify personal devices and built-in AI features, and the source provides no data on implementation results or learning outcomes. Students in grades 2-K through 8 in New York City cannot use generative AI through school channels during the 2026-27 school year, and high school students must have teacher supervision when using approved tools. The Los Angeles Unified School District's moratorium covers only district-owned devices, leaving student use of generative AI on personal devices without a clear policy and creating differences in enforcement boundaries.