Why New York City is banning generative AI for students through grade 8

“ Children need teachers and human connection in order to learn and grow . They need to develop skills alongside their peers, build relationships with their teachers, and wrestle with tough problems on their own ,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on September 2 while announcing a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI from 2-K through grade 8 . “ The tech industry wants us to believe that AI in early education is not only inevitable but that it is necessary .