New York and Brazil implement restrictions on AI in schools

Educational authorities in New York and Brazil are implementing new restrictions on the use of generative artificial intelligence in schools to protect student development and critical thinking.

In New York City, the Department of Education has established a one-year moratorium on the direct use of generative AI for approximately 600,000 public school students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade for the 2026-2027 school year. While teachers may still use AI for lesson planning, the measure aims to study the technology's effects on children before mass implementation. The district will also introduce AI literacy classes to encourage critical thinking.

In Brazil, the National Council of Education (CNE) has proposed guidelines for AI use in education, pending approval from the Ministry of Education. These rules prohibit unsupervised AI access for early childhood and elementary students up to the 5th grade. The guidelines also restrict teachers from using AI to grade essays or interpretative works and mandate transparency in higher education. The focus is on ensuring AI serves as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for human instruction and cognitive effort.