By Dr Poonam S Kohli

In September, the largest school system in the United States made a decision that surprised many people. New York City banned students from using AI tools in school, from pre-school up to class 8, for the whole 2026–27 school year.

The ban covers nearly 600,000 children. AI chatbots and AI tutors are out of their classrooms for at least a year, while a group of teachers, parents and experts studies their effect.

What exactly did New York decide?

  • Up to class 8: students may not use AI tools in school.
  • Screen time: recommended limits of 30 minutes a day on personal devices in classes 3–5, and 45 minutes in classes 6–8. The youngest children will not use individual devices at all.
  • Teachers: may still use approved AI tools to plan lessons and for office work, but not to grade children.
  • High school: a few closely watched pilot classes, and two lessons a year for every student on how AI works, its biases and its risks.

The reason

As New York's Mayor Zohran Mamdani put it, children need human connection in the classroom, and should build problem-solving and social skills with teachers and classmates. Beyond that lies a very important question to ponder: should we allow children to let someone else think for them? Should we allow children to get ready-made answers and ready-made projects?

Why now?

Parents' groups had petitioned for a pause, and more than half of the city's council members wrote asking for one, citing learning and mental-health concerns. Researchers have also raised questions. A large review by the Brookings Institution found that, so far, the harms of AI in classrooms outweigh the benefits, though careful, limited use can help in specific cases.

Not everyone agrees with a ban. Some educators worry that children will use AI at home anyway, and that schools are the right place to teach them to use it wisely. Others point out that no one yet knows how the ban will be enforced. New York itself is treating it as a one-year experiment, not a final answer.

What this means for us in India

Indian schools are adopting tablets, smart classes and AI apps quickly, often faster than parents can ask questions. Here, even books are being developed to start AI from Class 3, which will put more pressure on already overburdened children. New York's pause is a useful reminder to introspect and ask questions about the development of our children.

For young children, the most important learning still happens away from a screen: talking, playing, listening to a story, and learning to understand how a friend feels. A child of five does not need a chatbot. She needs an adult who reads with her, and who asks and answers her questions.

Three questions to ask your child's school

  1. How much screen time does my child have each day, and for what?
  2. Do children use AI tools in class? Which ones, and who checks what they show?
  3. How do you teach older children to use AI honestly and think for themselves?

What you can do at home

  • Keep the youngest children's learning hands-on: books, crayons, blocks and conversation.
  • Read aloud every day. Even if you can't read, just be with your child and listen to them.
  • For older children, use AI together and ask: is this right? How do you know?

I have spent more than 40 years in education, and at Punya Publishing we make books that children hold, colour, read and talk about. New York's decision is a good reason to value them a little more.

What do you think: should Indian schools pause AI for young children? Write to us at punyapublishing@gmail.com.

Sources: ABC7 New York, Al Jazeera, Chalkbeat New York.