The Los Angeles Unified Board is banning student access to AI tools on district-provided laptops and tablets. The announcement comes after the Los Angeles Unified School District voted to limit screen time for students in June.
The district’s decision came during the foremost meeting of a committee focused on reviewing AI restrictions for students. Around 378,000 students are blocked from using generative AI tools on LAUSD-issued devices. Before today, students over 13 were allowed to use AI in school. Only after teacher discretion and a lesson on “digital citizenship,” the district permitted pre-approved generative systems.
The moratorium is considered “ breaking news here in the committee,” according to LAUSD Board Member Kelly Gomez.
“Just based on the facial expressions of folks in this room, many parents, some of whom work at the district, some of whom don’t,” said Board Member Nick Melvoin, after a district staff member explained the restrictions. “I don’t think it’s well-publicized and I would encourage us to do more.”
Administrators will utilize the platform Lightspeed to bar student access from all generative AI tools. The district cannot block AI on personal accounts, though students will still be unable to access tools if logged in to a district account on a personal device.
The committee meeting was the first of its kind in LAUSD to revisit the district’s AI policies. LAUSD first published AI recommendations in April 2024, requiring teachers to review data privacy guidelines on intelligence tools and require parental consent for certain services.
District staff members also explained the “digital citizenship” course required for LAUSD students, sharing how younger students focus on safety and privacy concerns. Older students are taught about the dangers of relationships with chatbots and are encouraged to think critically about their presence in their lives.
Training on types of AI is optional for teachers at this time, with LAUSD staff saying there is currently no requirement to attend such instruction. An AI task force is in the works to help guide future policies, like the recent labor agreements prohibiting AI from replacing human employees of the district, like teachers or aides.
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“LAUSD has made history once again,” said Bridie Lee, a leader of Schools Beyond Screens LA. “Thank you to the team for listening to the evidence and facts, and perhaps our work here is done.”
