LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the second-largest public school district in the United States, has imposed a moratorium on the use of generative artificial intelligence on school-issued devices across all grade levels.
The decision was taken during a committee meeting on Wednesday as the district reviews the potential risks associated with students’ use of generative AI.
A chief programme officer at Common Sense Media, a US nonprofit that works with educators, children and parents, said the moratorium would give the district time to address concerns surrounding the technology.
She said the district should use the period to strengthen AI literacy among students, noting that teaching children about artificial intelligence does not necessarily require them to use AI tools.
“Many leading AI products are not designed for safety or to properly support learning,” she said, adding that AI use had become increasingly common among American teenagers and younger children.
The decision in Los Angeles follows a similar move in New York City, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a one-year restriction on student use of artificial intelligence through eighth grade.
The measures come amid growing concerns in the United States about students’ increasing reliance on technology, particularly generative AI, and its potential impact on learning and academic development.
A Pew Research Centre survey published in February found that a majority of American teenagers were using artificial intelligence in their academic lives.
LAUSD has previously introduced measures aimed at reducing students’ reliance on technology in classrooms. In 2024, the district’s board voted to prohibit students from using mobile phones during school hours.
The latest moratorium is expected to provide the district with time to assess how generative AI should be regulated and used in schools while addressing concerns over student safety, learning and technology dependence.
