Advocates Rally to Extend NYC's AI Moratorium to High Schools

About two dozen students, teachers, and advocates gathered ahead of the Panel for Educational Policy's monthly meeting to oppose the New York City Department of Education's planned artificial intelligence pilot programme for high school students. The pilot, set to launch in November, would reach approximately five percent of public school students across five DOE AI initiatives announced in September. A moratorium on AI tools for pre-K through eighth grade is already in place for the 2026–2027 school year, and protesters demanded that ban be extended to high schoolers. Liat Olenick, co-founder and co-chair of Climate Families NYC, argued the risks to student privacy, student learning, and the planet are just as great for high schoolers as for younger students. Hunter College High School student Juno Hayes delivered a petition carrying more than 1,000 signatures, warning that classmates are already relying on AI to complete assignments and that teachers can no longer give the same kinds of work as before. Danielle Giunta, first deputy chancellor, said the department intends to proceed with the pilots to assess their impact and effectiveness while ensuring compliance with state student data-privacy law. The DOE said families will be notified in writing before any pilot tool is used and may request alternative assignments.