New York City schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels abruptly halted plans to open an AI-focused high school in Manhattan after intense parental opposition. The decision to cancel Next Generation Technology High School — set to launch with about 100 ninth graders this fall and grow to 450 students — marks a significant retreat from the nation's largest school system's push into artificial intelligence education.

Parents have been rallying against generative AI in classrooms for months, delivering a petition with thousands of signatures to Mayor Zohran Mamdani calling for a two-year moratorium. Leonie Haimson, an education advocate with the Coalition for an A.I. Moratorium, described the parental backlash as the most intense she has witnessed in 25 years of working on education issues. The planned 22-member oversight panel vote on the school was scheduled for Wednesday, but group chairman Gregory Faulkner said he expected zero members to support it.

Despite this setback, school leaders in New York and beyond remain bullish on AI's educational potential. The city's Education Department published its first AI playbook last month, developed with input from educators and technology companies. Samuels said he wants to approach the technology thoughtfully while addressing parent concerns about safety and data collection practices.

Samuels also withdrew a contentious plan to close and relocate several Upper West Side schools, citing the need for deeper community engagement.