Following the decision by the two largest school districts in the United States to restrict the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms, school districts of all sizes across various states may also follow suit.
On September 2nd, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) informed the “Generative AI Special Committee” that they had suspended the use of generative AI on district-provided devices for K-12 students since last month. Previously, students aged 13 and above could use AI tools at school upon completion of a digital citizenship course.
The change was implemented by district technology administrators without prior knowledge of the school board. Board member Nick Melvoin stated that more measures should be taken by the district to ensure the community is aware of these restrictions now in place.
On the same day, New York City Mayor Mamdani announced that pre-K to 8th-grade students will temporarily cease the use of generative AI tools in classrooms for one year. Additionally, all high school students in New York City public schools will be required to complete two “AI awareness refresher” courses each year.
In the Midwest, the civic group Illinois Families for Public Schools is urging Chicago schools to halt the use of generative AI for a three-year period, citing concerns over student privacy.
Before the start of the 2027-28 school year, school districts nationwide will closely monitor these developments as educational leaders have begun formulating AI policies, ranging from minimal supervision measures to comprehensive bans on AI.
Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, and Grok can provide highly specific textual content and answer questions across multiple subject areas. Mamdani expressed concern that if digital tools directly provide students with conclusions they should derive on their own, true learning may be compromised.
In New York City schools, the AI features of 38 educational technology products will be disabled, while five tools will continue to be used in career and technical education or professional talent development programs for grades 9-12. Exceptions will be made for students with disabilities and English language learners.
In May of this year, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, called for a ban on the use of digital learning environments for pre-K to 2nd-grade students and stated that any students under 16 should not engage with AI chatbots.
The website “Working Educators Navigating AI in the Classroom” lists relevant legislation and policies across the United States and individual states.
The U.S. Department of Education emphasizes the “responsible adoption principle” but does not advocate for an outright ban on AI. Currently, 35 states have issued official guidelines. Several states have passed or are considering legislation requiring the education department or school boards to develop policies for AI use.
David Hoyt, executive director of the School Board for Academic Excellence, told the Epoch Times, “We have seen that the most effective policies implemented by school boards are based on this approach: restricting the use of AI according to students’ age and developmental stage.”
Bridget Ziegler, chair of the Sarasota County School Board in Florida and director of the 1776 Project Foundation School Board Action Division, has provided recommendations on AI use policies to her district and dozens of others nationwide. She believes the suspension of AI use is “political theater” and urges school leaders to work harder on establishing protective norms that cater to the needs of different age groups while maintaining transparency within the school community at each stage.
She also noted that many school districts have not thoroughly reviewed contracts signed with education technology vendors.