In Open Letter, Hundreds of Artists Urge Mayor Mamdani for Two-Year Ban on AI in Classrooms

Hundreds of New York City–based artists and cultural workers have called on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to implement a two-year moratorium on artificial intelligence in public schools.

In an open letter published yesterday by the AI Moratorium Coalition, approximately 500 visual artists, writers, musicians, and filmmakers called on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to prohibit the technology, describing it as “built on theft, having stolen the work of countless creatives” and arguing that it has now “invaded the city’s classrooms”. Among the signatories are visual artists Nan Goldin, Laurie Simmons, and Carroll Dunham; as well as art critic Jerry Saltz and writer-artist Molly Crabapple.

The missive cites a slew of studies suggesting that AI software such as ChatGPT may atrophy critical thinking skills and creativity during the crucial developmental years of elementary and high school.

“We’re calling on you to stand up for the children of this city—the natural-born creatives, the innate innovators, tomorrow’s leaders—whose future is being sacrificed only to further enrich the planet’s wealthiest people,” the letter states, addressing Mayor Mamdani.

A City Council oversight hearing scheduled for today will examine the data privacy and security concerns posed by AI in public schools, marking a critical moment in the campaign for an AI moratorium initiated by education advocacy groups in August 2025. The movement already has majority support in the City Council, whose members asked the mayor in a letter dated June 9 to “immediately pause” the use of generative artificial intelligence in schools until “rigorous guardrails” can be developed with public and expert input. Meanwhile, a petition in favor of the moratorium has collected more than 4,000 signatures from NYC parents and educators. 

The potential and perils of AI teaching assistants and generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT have swiftly emerged as leading topics of debate in education. The Brookings Institution, one of the world’s most prominent education think tanks, issued a report concluding that “at this point in its trajectory, the risks of utilizing generative AI in children’ s education overshadow its benefits.” 

That, however, hasn’t dissuaded educators nationwide who’ve adopted AI teaching assistants such as Magic School and Khanmigo, an AI tutor developed by Khan Academy. Speaking to Hyperallergic, Kelly Clancy, founder of the advocacy organization Parents for AI Caution in Educational Spaces (PACES) and a member of AIM, said that Google Gemini is installed on “most computers” in New York City schools and that the popular reading platform HMH incorporates AI elements. 

The letter also cites expert concerns that AI will help companies harvest student data for third parties and cultivate future generations of consumers through early dependence on such software. Educational artificial intelligence has been linked to racial and gender bias, according to the reports cited.

“You ran for office on a promise to be the people’s mayor,” the letter to Mayor Mamdani concludes. “Please protect New York City’s creative future and set an example for school systems across the country.”