The two largest school districts in the United States have restricted student use of generative AI, sparking a national debate over whether bans or guided use are the right approach.New York City announced a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI for kindergarten through eighth grade, covering about 600,000 students. High schoolers keep twice-yearly AI critical-thinking modules and a few supervised pilot classrooms. Los Angeles Unified went further with a blanket moratorium on generative AI across every student-issued device, for every grade, for the entire 2026-27 school year.Officials cite academic integrity, privacy and student development. Critics warn the pauses could widen the digital divide, since students with home access to AI keep learning it outside school. Three of the five largest districts, including Chicago and Miami-Dade, took the opposite approach, approving specific reviewed tools instead.An American Psychological Association report found that AI can improve a student's finished work without improving the student. Educators say the pause gives schools time for independent research, stronger privacy standards and teacher training before scaling classroom AI.