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Despite New York City鈥檚 last-minute withdrawal of, parents, students, and educators packed this week鈥檚 school board meeting to speak on AI anyway.

More than 100 New Yorkers testified at a nearly seven-hour-long meeting of the Panel for Educational Policy, or PEP, earlier this week.

Community members repeatedly argued that the Education Department is rolling out AI tools without clear rules, transparency, or adequate knowledge of the technology. Students said AI was already reshaping classrooms, and surveillance practices, like the, are already in use at 150 city schools. Educators expressed concern that the increasing use of various technologies in schools conflicts with the the city released in March.

One parent from Park Slope approached the microphone with her two toddlers in tow, holding one in her arm while clasping the other tightly by the hand.

鈥淚鈥檝e never been an activist before, but I feel so strongly about this: It is starting. Gen Z is turning against AI; I鈥檓 turning against AI. The city is telling us that AI is inevitable, but won鈥檛 tell me what devices and applications my children are using. You tell us you are spending our money to give artificial intelligence to our children?鈥� she said to a chorus of cheers at Wednesday night鈥檚 packed meeting.

The had little to do with AI. It centered on the Education Department鈥檚 capital plan, the estimated budget for the coming year, and the updated Fair Student Funding weights that shape how money flows to schools. The panel also voted on 30 separate contract agreements, from cafeteria equipment repairs to special education services.

But the bulk of the seven-hour meeting involved parents, children, and educators arguing against the city鈥檚 spending on AI and educational technology contracts and the city鈥檚 preliminary AI policy. Although the Next Generation High School proposal was removed from Wednesday鈥檚 agenda following backlash over its AI focus and selective admissions, speakers said those concerns would extend to future school plans.

鈥淢any feel AI is teaching a dangerous message that results matter more than the learning process. Some of the most important learning happens when students struggle, make mistakes, ask questions, and improve over time,鈥� said student panel member Julia Nasef, of Staten Island鈥檚 Tottenville High School.

AI discussions surface issues with current Department of Education process

Throughout the night, speakers expressed waning confidence in the Education Department鈥檚 and its ability to protect students, educators, and families from a complex and rapidly-changing technology.

Most of the speakers were opposed to any AI in the classroom.

Panel for Educational Policy Chair Greg Faulkner admitted on Wednesday that he was a 鈥渂aby boomer鈥� with limited understanding of AI, and that he wanted more thorough engagement with both the community and Education Department in future AI-related proposals.

But he also thought that Chancellor Kamar Samuel鈥檚 move to pull the AI-focused school proposal for Next Generation High School aligns with the schools chief鈥檚 priority to better engage and respond to the needs of local communities.

鈥淯nder previous administrations, the general assumption was that the panel votes yes on all DOE proposals. But the chancellor鈥檚 decision and the panel鈥檚 back-and-forth discussion on Wednesday showed us that the old model isn鈥檛 working anymore,鈥� Faulkner told Chalkbeat on Thursday.

Faulkner said the 鈥淎I question鈥� has him considering proposing changes to some of the Education Department鈥檚 policy-making processes. He said he would like the panel to work more closely with the department鈥檚 AI policy authors 鈥� the names of whom are not public 鈥� so the panel can get up to speed on AI research and better share community concerns.

Education Department officials said that the initial AI guidance was shaped by the Department鈥檚 central Academics and Instruction team, with input from stakeholders and various internal Department subcommittees.

鈥淲e have not had any briefings on AI research, and while I am concerned about a moratorium, I don鈥檛 know enough about this technology,鈥� said Faulkner.

Nasef, the student PEP member, said at the meeting that many of her peers acknowledge that AI can be helpful when used 鈥渋ntentionally鈥� to help them understand math and science concepts, for example.

She urged the panel to 鈥渟upport clear, student鈥慶entered guidelines for AI implementation.鈥�

The, released last month, did not include guidance on how or if students can use AI for homework, nor did it differentiate AI use for students in different grades

Panel greenlights controversial tech contracts as AI policy lags

Of the 30 contract proposals up for a vote, three included three educational technology products. Just one was voted down.

One of the contracts approved covered the full line of K-12 digital learning products from , a global educational services company that has in their digital test prep products. Several speakers who testified at Wednesday鈥檚 meeting mentioned the company鈥檚 recent privacy breach affecting the personal information of. Despite those concerns, the PEP approved the company鈥檚 $500,000 contract.

A representative for AI-based software tailored to early childhood education , spoke at the meeting. He assured panel members that the software could be 鈥渢urned off at any point鈥� because 鈥渢eachers have complete control of what is going on in the classroom.鈥� This was the only contract that the PEP voted against.

Naveed Hasan, the panel鈥檚 de-facto technology expert who had previously supported the AI-focused high school, announced at the meeting that he now supports a two-year moratorium on AI use in schools, saying the city needs more time to address data privacy infrastructure and learning concerns.

The term limits of all current panel members expire at the end of June. The Education Department鈥檚 full AI policy is also expected to be released that month, and the Education Department is asking families and educators for through May 8.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at .

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