NYC Schools Chancellor Acknowledges AI Guidance Fell Short, Pledges Stricter Rules
New York City Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said the Education Department underestimated community opposition to artificial intelligence in schools and plans a more restrictive approach in its final guidance, particularly for young children ages three to five.
The acknowledgment marks a significant reversal. When the department released draft AI guidance in March, it faced immediate backlash from parents and educators who said the rules didn't go far enough to protect students from the technology's risks.
Samuels spoke Tuesday at Bank Street College of Education in Manhattan, saying the department "missed the mark" in its initial communication. "We didn't communicate in a way that really showed our community that we understood where we were … and that we were worthy of being trusted to protect young people," he said.
The Education Department originally planned to release final guidance in June, though a spokesperson did not confirm whether that timeline remains in effect.
Public Feedback Overwhelmingly Negative
The city received more than 6,000 comments during a 45-day public feedback period that ended May 8. Forty-eight percent came from educators and 42% from parents, according to Tara Carrozza, the Education Department's Director of Digital Learning Initiatives.
Parents flooded public forums to criticize the draft guidance, which uses a traffic light system to categorize AI risk levels. The framework gave scant attention to student use of AI-arguably the highest-stakes question-and labeled it a "yellow light" behavior.
Opposition has grown more organized. A petition calling for a two-year moratorium on AI in city schools has gathered more than 3,000 signatures. Several elected officials have called on the Education Department to pause implementation.
Samuels' Shifting Perspective on AI
The chancellor said sentiment shifted "rapidly" since he took office in January. Initially, the system's stance was: "AI is here; we need to kind of figure it out."
He expected fear. Instead, he found anger. "A lack of trust in institutions, a lack of trust in our security mechanisms, and also a lack of trust in or deep skepticism of (education technology) companies," he said.
Samuels called AI "the most invasive technology that we've seen." While the department believes older students need some exposure to the technology, officials are "looking very closely" at restricting its use for the youngest children.
National Tensions Mirror NYC's Debate
Education leaders across the country face similar tensions. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, called publicly this week for a ban on student-facing AI in elementary schools, despite previously supporting AI tools for teachers.
NYC's own approach has swung between extremes. The Education Department initially banned ChatGPT on school devices and networks, then pledged to become a national leader in embracing AI. Without firm citywide policy, individual schools have created their own rules or avoided the topic altogether.
Evidence of AI's Classroom Limitations
Former deputy chancellor Dan Weisberg has argued that AI can help teachers identify struggling students and design targeted instruction. But Shael Polakow-Suransky, another former deputy chancellor and now president of Bank Street College, offered a cautionary example.
He observed a Bronx classroom where students used an AI tutor program to learn fractions-to-decimals conversion. Many reached the correct answer, but few grasped the underlying concept. The teacher spent most of the time troubleshooting technical problems rather than working with students.
"This was something I fear is going to happen more and more schools across the country, and in our city," Polakow-Suransky said. "That in the interest of providing individualized feedback to students, we are going to take the intellectual work that we expect from teachers and pass it to the AI."
For educators navigating these decisions, understanding both the potential and pitfalls of AI in schools is essential. Resources like AI for Education and an AI Learning Path for Teachers can help staff make informed choices about implementation.
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