The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has implemented a moratorium blocking students from using generative artificial intelligence on district devices for the current school year. The decision, imposed by senior district administrators, has led to surprise among some school board members who were not aware of the change.
Board member Kelly Gonez stated that she believed the district was still operating under its previous AI policy, which allowed older students to use the technology after completing instructional units on digital literacy and responsibility. "The fact that it’s different today, this school year, is important," Gonez said during the inaugural meeting of the district’s new Generative AI Ad Hoc Committee, calling it "breaking news."
Another board member, Nick Melvoin, also expressed surprise at the decision, though he did not object to the ban itself. He questioned why such a significant policy change had not originated from the board. "If the policy is we’re not going to allow students [to] use generative AI for the meantime, then we should publicize that," Melvoin stated, adding he had "some discomfort" with the decision coming from administrators rather than the board.
This move by LAUSD follows a similar action by New York City, which will bar student-facing generative AI tools from preschool through eighth grade. Limited AI use will remain permitted in New York high schools.
Nationwide, at least 37 states have issued guidance on AI use in schools. However, educators still lack a universal definition of AI literacy and a consensus on how the technology should be integrated into curriculum.
Generative AI can create new content by analyzing patterns in existing data, but it also carries risks, including generating incorrect information or enabling students to complete assignments that are intended to assess their own work. Some AI tools are capable of making AI-generated content appear as if it were produced by students.
LAUSD's ban specifically targets generative AI. Non-generative AI tools, such as adaptive learning systems, speech-recognition programs, text-to-speech, speech-to-text, live captioning, and translation tools, can still be used for educational purposes when deemed academically appropriate. Google's "AI Mode" has been disabled on student accounts and devices to prevent AI-driven conversations and follow-up questions, though search pages may still display brief AI-generated summaries. A district spokesperson indicated that Google is developing a technical update to allow administrators to disable this feature entirely.
The district's decision on AI use comes as LAUSD faces a significant financial crisis, with warnings that it could exhaust its operating cash by November 2027. A three-year stabilization plan is in place to address the financial challenges, aiming to cut $3.5 billion in spending through staff layoffs and school consolidations by June 2029.