NYC public schools puts technology purchases on hold amid heated debate over AI policy

NEW YORK — As backlash against artificial intelligence — and educational technology more broadly — sweeps New York City's public schools, Chancellor Kamar Samuels has told principals to hold off on new technology purchases until a long-overdue AI policy is ready.

The policy was due last month but delayed until later this summer after a previous draft fueled bitter opposition and protests, Samuels' top deputies admitted during a recent City Council hearing.

"We realize that any policy changes … may potentially impact your technology buying decisions this summer," Samuels wrote in an email on Monday, obtained by the Daily News. "Therefore, to ensure alignment, we are advising you today to pause educational software purchases until we share updated guidance."

The chancellor first released a draft AI policy in March, which approved its use by teachers in lesson plans but not for grades or discipline. But the plan glossed over student use of AI and key guardrails around critical thinking.

The public outcry was intense. Parents flooded school board meetings and protested outside City Hall. An online petition calling for a two-year moratorium on AI in schools received close to 4,700 signatures. A majority of the City Council demanded an "immediate pause."

The revised policy is expected to offer more guidance on the developmental appropriateness of AI based on student ages and grade bands. Education officials have also surveyed principals about what AI systems are used in their schools, and started work on a more rigorous review process of new technology and "scorecard" for teacher-facing AI products.

In his email, Samuels said that central staffers will be reviewing all software purchases "closely," and those evaluations may result in some orders being "delayed or denied."

"We know that we must prepare our children to thrive in a world increasingly shaped by new technology," the chancellor wrote. "We also recognize the need to consistently provide a safe, developmentally appropriate system with robust transparency and oversight."

Separately, the Panel for Educational Policy, the governing body for the public schools that reviews and votes on ed-tech contracts, formed a task force on technology and artificial intelligence last month, according to PEP member Naveed Hassan, who will co-lead the effort.

Leonie Haimson, a member of the Coalition for an AI Moratorium, said she hopes the pause means the Mamdani administration is "seriously considering the pleas of thousands of parents and teachers to call a halt to the destructive impact of AI on their children's minds and education — before it is too late to repair the damage."

A representative for the public schools confirmed the development of an AI policy is still underway.

"This necessary pause is part of our work to ensure proper protocols are in place, while supporting our students and staff and making sure that any digital tool used in classrooms is properly assessed for safety and privacy," said spokeswoman Nicole Brownstein.