New York City's public schools released their first AI playbook for teachers, establishing ground rules for artificial intelligence use in the nation's largest school system. The 30-page guide permits AI for lesson planning and research but prohibits using it to assign grades or determine disciplinary actions. Kamar Samuels, the schools chancellor, emphasized the need for 'strong guardrails' as AI adoption grows.

Until now, teachers across the city's nearly 1,600 public schools set their own AI terms, leading to inconsistent practices. Some educators used AI for drafting emails and lesson plans, while others avoided it entirely. The new guidance arrives amid parental concerns about AI rollout and follows similar playbooks from Chicago, Denver, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg districts.

The playbook uses a stoplight system: red for prohibited uses like crafting special education plans, yellow for cautious applications such as sensitive communications, and green for acceptable uses including scheduling and translation. Teachers are warned about AI's tendency to 'hallucinate' incorrect information. The district will hold public feedback sessions before releasing an updated guide in June.