Chalkbeat obtains NYC’s list of 38 school tools flagged for AI restrictions; vendors push back

New York City promised to disable or discontinue AI components in dozens of school programs. Now, a list of 38 flagged products obtained by Chalkbeat reveals a less clear-cut reality: some companies dispute using prohibited AI, others have disabled features, and some tools cannot remain in schools without the technology the city has restricted.

Chalkbeat’s Alex Zimmerman and Michael Elsen-Rooney obtained the Education Department’s list after more than a month of requests and contacted the companies behind all 38 products. The list spans reading and math programs, assessment software and a teaching-assistant chatbot developed by the department itself.

The September 2 policy established a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI for children in preschool through eighth grade during the 2026–27 school year. Generative AI produces content such as text or answers. The city’s announcement also allowed limited, teacher-supervised high-school pilots and exceptions for assistive technology, multilingual learners and career-readiness programs.

Vendors dispute the city’s definition

The department told Chalkbeat that its restrictions target student-facing generative AI features, not necessarily entire products. Officials said they are reviewing vendors case by case to determine whether products can operate without those features and be reinstated. They did not explain how they classified tools whose companies dispute using the prohibited technology.

Wordly, a translation tool used to help educators communicate with English learners, said it does not use generative AI and is seeking removal from the restricted list. Its inclusion is also notable because the policy has an exception for tools that help English language learners.

HMH likewise contends that none of its listed products use student-facing AI. Those products include Read180, designed for struggling readers. Another, Arriba la Lectura, is permitted for students learning English but not other students, according to the department. The vendors’ objections remain disputed classifications, not established errors by the city.

You cannot trust the companies that they’re not using student-facing AI

Leonie Haimson, education technology critic, speaking to Chalkbeat

An off switch keeps some products in classrooms

Other companies acknowledged having prohibited features and removed them. All In Learning, whose assessment tools serve more than 100 city schools, said it disabled AI-assisted grading after Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s announcement. Chief sales and marketing officer Darren Ward said the company was already compliant when officials contacted it, and schools kept using the platform without interruption.

Magma Math’s affected feature supplied AI-generated hints to students solving problems. The company said it switched that component off on September 4, two days after the announcement, and received department approval to continue operating on October 5. In both cases, the companies described retaining the underlying software while removing the AI function.

Some tools have no non-AI fallback

• Amira: The AI reading tutor, previously used in more than 200 city schools, was discontinued because it could not function without AI, department officials said.
• The department’s own chatbot: Student access ended for the teaching assistant developed with Microsoft and deployed in six schools last year.
• Coursemojo and Google Gemini: Officials confirmed that both are banned, although neither appears on the 38-product list. They said Gemini was omitted because student access was already being deactivated.

That makes the list an incomplete guide to which tools students can use. For families seeking a school-specific answer, department spokesperson Onika Richards said parents can contact their schools or local community education councils for information about the technology in use.