Classrooms are becoming the latest battlegrounds in the debate over artificial intelligence (AI), with some countries like China and Vietnam rolling out initiatives that would support AI literacy at a young age, while cities like New York in the United States have moved to restrict students’ access to AI amid concerns over its negative impacts.
Vietnam brings AI into teaching
The Southeast Asian country of Vietnam, in August, established an AI educational framework that seeks to prepare the younger generations for the evolving digital economy.
Encouraged by Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, the Ministry of Education and Training on August 21 officially announced that elementary to high school students will be provided with an AI curriculum focused on human-centered thinking, ethics, techniques and applications, as well as system design.
According to tnglobal’s report on August 28, these lessons will be compulsory, with 12 periods allocated per academic year (AY), beginning AY 2026-2027.
While Vietnam already conducted a pilot of its AI education framework in AY 2025-2026, the Education and Training Ministry assured students that AI teachings will be carried out in a progressive manner, ensuring proper guidance to help them understand and use AI responsibly.
Under the framework, the basic concepts of AI and its role in people’s daily lives will be tackled at the primary level, with a mix of lessons about personal data protection and copyright. Meanwhile, in middle school, students will begin exploring the development of digital products and gain a solid ground on AI principles.
Upon entering high school, students will navigate exploring, designing, and enhancing AI tools, as well as sharpening their critical thinking through problem-solving centered on improving communities and strengthening their competencies.
China makes AI learning more inclusive
Similar actions are being taken by neighboring China, with seven government departments, spearheaded by the Education Ministry, releasing a joint action plan on August 31 to explore the use of AI to make special education more accessible and personalized.
Outlining the measures, the state-backed agencies said AI applications will be integrated in special education, mainly as support—both physical and in teaching—for both instructors and students, especially for those with severe disabilities that prevent them from attending in-person classes, Xinhua reported.
Apart from AI, government authorities are also considering exploring big data, virtual reality (VR), and other new technologies in special education to keep pace with China’s rapid digitalization while ensuring the education of disabled students is moving at the same speed as those in mainstream education.
The state departments also noted the need to establish better digital infrastructure in special education schools to ensure proper and seamless implementation of AI and other advanced technologies, while catering to the growing number of disabled students.
In 2025, there were 927,000 students enrolled in special education schools, up 145% from 2012. With a population of over 1.41 billion, China only has 2,464 special education schools and 85,100 special education teachers.
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New York puts AI off-limits for young students
Over in the West, America’s financial capital, New York City, is expected to begin banning the use of AI devices for public school students from early childhood through eighth grade, over concerns about their potential negative effects on mental health and cognitive development.
NYC’s Education Department stressed in documents obtained by nonprofit news organization Chalkbeat on September 2 the importance of “hands-on learning, social interaction, play, and teacher-guided instruction” for children’s growth and development.
“Routine individual screen use can crowd out those experiences,” the department reportedly said, adding that even AI applications that offer psychological support to students will be off-limits.
While students from 2-K through eighth grade will be restricted from utilizing AI tools, the Education Department will allow these devices to be used by teachers for specific tasks such as lesson planning, translation, and drafting communication, provided that the equipment receives prior approval from the board. Using AI-powered devices for grading, behavior monitoring, counseling, or the development of special education plans will be strictly prohibited.
Ramping up the planned restrictions, students from 2-K through eighth grade will only be given limited time to use digital devices in classrooms, with elementary students being given only 30 minutes of screen time, while those in middle school will be allocated 45 minutes.
The Education Department is expected to announce the final AI education policy on September 9. Although it appears that New York City is taking a hard stance on AI use, many speculate that the district’s education department will still provide exemptions on utilizing digital technology in some areas, such as reading and math assessments, as well as supporting disabled students and non-English speakers.
In March, New York City introduced an AI framework that would allow students to freely use AI in certain situations, which was met with strong opposition from parents and educators, who argued that the rules were too lax and could backfire by encouraging students to rely too heavily on AI.
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