Los Angeles Unified has restricted student access to generative AI on district-issued devices for the 2026-27 school year while a board committee develops longer-term rules. The shift reverses last year’s conditional access for students 13 and older and puts new focus on how the district will balance AI literacy, screen limits and classroom technology.
Key Takeaways
- LAUSD is restricting student access to generative AI across all grade levels on district-issued devices during the 2026-27 school year.
- Before the change, students age 13 and older could access approved generative AI tools after completing required digital citizenship instruction and acknowledging district rules.
- Google AI Mode has been disabled for student accounts and devices, although AI-generated summaries may still appear in ordinary Google search results.
- Teachers are not barred from using generative AI on district devices under the current restrictions.
- LAUSD’s Generative AI Ad Hoc Committee held its first meeting on Sept. 2, 2026, and is expected to develop recommendations for future student use.
Los Angeles Unified School District has placed generative AI out of reach for students using district-issued devices during the 2026-27 school year, marking a significant change from the rules that governed student access last year.
The restriction came into clearer public view during the first meeting of LAUSD’s Generative AI Ad Hoc Committee on Sept. 2. Board member Kelly Gonez summarized the current position during the meeting: “Currently, there is no access to generative AI for any student.”
The development is notable not only because the restrictions cover students across grade levels, but also because some board members said they had understood the district to still be operating under its previous policy. That earlier framework permitted qualifying students age 13 and older to use approved generative AI tools after completing digital citizenship requirements.
LAUSD AI Restrictions Apply Across Grade Levels
The current LAUSD AI restrictions cover students throughout the district rather than focusing only on elementary or middle school grades.
During the previous school year, students who were at least 13 could gain access to approved generative AI platforms after completing required Digital Citizenship instruction and acknowledging the district’s Responsible Use Policy. The 2026-27 practice removes that access on district-issued devices while officials review appropriate instructional uses and safeguards.
That distinction represents a substantial change for high school students in particular. Under the previous approach, older students could use approved tools within district guidelines. Under the current approach, generative AI access on LAUSD devices is restricted regardless of grade level.
The district has not abandoned AI literacy as an educational objective. Dominic Caguioa, LAUSD’s director of Educational Technology and Innovation, said the district is considering curriculum across grade levels that could help students understand what artificial intelligence is, what it is not and how it should be approached without necessarily requiring direct use of an AI platform.
District Devices Define the Current Scope
The scope of the restriction is an important part of the policy.
LAUSD is blocking generative AI on district-issued devices. Chief Academic Officer Pia Sadaqatmal said there is not yet a district policy governing what students may do with AI on non-district devices. Activity may still be trackable when students use personal devices while signed into school accounts.
The restrictions also affect how students encounter generative AI through Google.
Students can still conduct standard Google searches, but Google’s conversational AI Mode has been disabled on student accounts and devices. AI-generated summaries may still appear at the top of some search results, meaning students can encounter AI-generated material even though they cannot directly interact with the conversational feature.
The distinction means the policy is better described as a moratorium on direct student use of generative AI through district technology rather than a prohibition on every technology that uses artificial intelligence.
LAUSD has said non-generative AI applications can continue to serve educational purposes, including technologies used for adaptive learning, accessibility, speech recognition, captioning and translation.
Teachers Retain AI Access as Student Use Pauses
The restrictions do not apply to educators in the same way.
Teachers are not barred from using generative AI on district devices. That creates a clear difference between student access and educator use while LAUSD develops longer-term guidelines.
At the same time, teacher access should not be interpreted as a districtwide endorsement of every AI-assisted task. LAUSD does not currently have a districtwide system for teachers to use AI for functions such as grading student work or identifying academic dishonesty, according to district information reported during the policy discussion.
The district’s review is therefore broader than the question of whether students should be able to open a chatbot. Officials are also considering professional learning, classroom instruction and how educators can teach AI literacy without encouraging dependence on automated systems.
Screen-Time Policy Set the Stage for the Moratorium
LAUSD’s AI restrictions follow a broader shift in how the district approaches technology in classrooms.
Earlier in 2026, the district adopted new classroom screen-use limits that restrict or reduce student screen exposure according to grade level. The policy sharply limits screen use among younger students and establishes broader guidelines for how digital technology should be incorporated into instruction.
The generative AI moratorium developed in that context. Senior district administrators implemented the restriction as the district moved to comply with its screen-time policy, according to reporting on the Sept. 2 committee meeting.
Some board members said the change had not been widely communicated before the meeting. Nick Melvoin said the policy needed to be publicized more clearly, while Gonez said she had expected the earlier student AI rules to remain in effect.
The shift reflects a larger district debate about when digital tools improve instruction and when they may interfere with it. Related concerns about digital distraction have also fueled discussion around social media attention concerns affecting students.
The Board Committee Will Shape the Next Policy
The current restrictions do not settle the long-term status of generative AI in Los Angeles schools.
LAUSD’s Generative AI Ad Hoc Committee held its inaugural meeting on Sept. 2 at district headquarters. The committee is examining guardrails and procedures that could eventually govern student use of generative AI.
According to the district, the committee is expected to bring recommendations to the Board of Education by the end of the 2026-27 school year.
That process leaves several issues unresolved, including whether future rules should distinguish between age groups, which AI applications could be approved for educational use, and how students can develop AI literacy without becoming dependent on generative tools.
The committee’s work will also take place as other major school systems reconsider student AI access. New York City announced its own one-year restrictions on student-facing generative AI for younger students at nearly the same time as LAUSD’s policy became public.
The Long-Term Role of AI Remains Open
For now, the LAUSD AI restrictions represent a temporary pause on direct generative AI access for students using district devices rather than a final decision about artificial intelligence in education.
The district is continuing to examine how students should learn about AI, what safeguards should accompany future access and how educators might use the technology appropriately. The committee process gives LAUSD the remainder of the school year to develop recommendations before the board considers a longer-term framework.
The immediate change is clear. Students who previously could qualify for approved generative AI access no longer have that access on district-issued devices during the 2026-27 school year.
What follows will depend on the district’s review of instructional value, safeguards and AI literacy rather than the assumption that either unrestricted access or a permanent prohibition is the only option.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the LAUSD AI restrictions?
The LAUSD AI restrictions block student access to generative artificial intelligence platforms on district-issued devices during the 2026-27 school year. They apply across grade levels while the district reviews instructional uses, safeguards and future policy.
Can LAUSD students use generative AI at school?
Students currently cannot directly access generative AI platforms through district-issued devices. LAUSD has not established the same comprehensive policy for student activity on personal, non-district devices.
Can students still use Google search?
Yes. Students can still conduct Google searches, but conversational AI Mode has been turned off for student accounts and devices. AI-generated summaries may still appear in search results even though students cannot interact with them through AI Mode.
Can LAUSD teachers use artificial intelligence?
Teachers are not barred from using AI on district-issued devices under the current student moratorium. The district is still considering how artificial intelligence should be used for instruction, professional tasks and AI literacy.
Will LAUSD allow students to use AI again?
LAUSD has not announced a permanent prohibition. Its Generative AI Ad Hoc Committee is developing recommendations for future student access, with policy proposals expected to reach the Board of Education by the end of the 2026-27 school year.
