New York City has drawn a clearer line around how artificial intelligence should be used in its public schools.

On September 2, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI for students from 2-K through Grade 8, beginning in the 2026-27 school year. High school students will have limited access through approved, supervised pilots and career-readiness programs alongside AI literacy instruction.

But there is another side to the headlines.

Teachers are still permitted to use AI for instructional planning and operational tasks, provided the tools meet NYCPS safety standards. The policy therefore distinguishes between AI being used directly by students and AI supporting teachers behind the scenes.

That distinction matters.

At Azend Technologies, our work in education has explored AI and automation as tools that support educators and strengthen the systems around learning. Across our education solutions, we have worked on assessment workflows, student data management, automated evaluation and other processes designed to reduce repetitive administrative work.

For example, we developed an automation that helped generate personalized study plans for students, cutting what could be a whole day’s worth of work down to a matter of minutes. Solutions like this can help teachers spend more time in front of students, rather than getting lost in paperwork.

Our AI work also explores how technology can support educators by reducing repetitive tasks around assessment and student performance, with the broader aim of giving teachers more time for meaningful engagement with students.

AI doesn’t need the teacher’s seat. It can help clear the work surrounding it, giving educators more time for the part of education no technology can replace.