At a New York City Council Committee on Education and Technology hearing on June 24, 2026, Department of Education (DOE) officials detailed which artificial intelligence (AI) and education-technology (edtech) tools are in use or pilot phases in city schools, naming Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot as approved under existing licenses, noting a limited generative-AI pilot in District 28 with parental consent, and saying some staff use ChatGPT while tools like Perplexity and Claude are not widely used. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=0
# What’s happening
– The DOE said Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot are approved and in use. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=6408
– The DOE reported a limited generative-AI pilot in District 28 with parental consent. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=0
– DOE witnesses said ChatGPT is used by some staff; Perplexity and Claude are not widely used. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=6332
# Why it matters
– Students in public schools may encounter AI tools during instruction or interventions. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=3145
– Parents and teachers need clarity on data sharing, approvals, and classroom monitoring tools. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=10682
# Key details
– Hearing date: June 24, 2026; Committee on Education and Technology at City Hall. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=0
– Products named in testimony: Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, HMH’s Writable and Amira, Play Prodigy, i‑Ready, GoGuardian. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=6332 https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=10682 https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=14756
– DOE said Copilot and Gemini are approved under existing Microsoft and Google licenses. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=6408
– Generative-AI tool deployed in a very limited pilot, mostly in District 28; participating students had parental consent. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=0 https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=3145
– Some schools purchase and use GoGuardian for on-task monitoring; GoGuardian’s Beacon module is not approved and is not used. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=10682
– DOE is developing a tool scorecard and is beta-testing tools through professional learning with about 50 teachers. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=3145
The City Council’s Committee on Education and Technology held an oversight hearing on June 24, 2026 focused on the Department of Education’s (DOE) use of artificial intelligence (AI) and education-technology (edtech) products. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=0
**Department of Education (DOE)**
– Role or jurisdiction: New York City Department of Education, citywide K–12 system. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=0
– Action taken or responsibility: Testified to the City Council about which AI and edtech tools are in use, pilot status, and approval processes. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=6332 https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=3145
– Relevant numbers or dates: Hearing June 24, 2026; generative-AI pilot concentrated in District 28; ~50 teachers engaged in beta testing/professional learning. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=0 https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=3145
DOE officials told the Council they are compiling a list of the edtech and AI applications used in schools and expect any tool in use to go through the Irma process described in testimony. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=6332
DOE witnesses said Microsoft and Google offer free and paid versions of Copilot and Gemini, and those products have been approved for use; central offices and schools can purchase advanced features while staff may use free features under existing licenses. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=6408
DOE described a generative-AI tool that has been deployed to a very limited set of schools, with most use concentrated in District 28; the department said students who interact with that tool received parental consent. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=0 https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=3145
Council members asked about specific products. DOE staff answered that some teachers or administrators are using ChatGPT; Perplexity and Claude are “not widely used”; Gemini and Copilot are in use. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=6332
The DOE acknowledged schools can purchase GoGuardian and use features that monitor whether students are on task during classroom edtech use. The DOE said a separate GoGuardian module called Beacon is not approved and is not used. The department said device monitoring via GoGuardian applies only in schools, not during take-home use. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=10682
Witnesses and public commenters raised concerns about vendor data practices and transparency. Speakers asked why contracts and data privacy agreements are not publicly available and whether vendors such as HMH, with products like Writable and Amira, are Irma-approved or covered by pre-existing approvals. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=10682
The DOE said it is building an evaluation “tool scorecard” to assess educational value and student impact and is conducting beta testing through professional learning experiences with roughly 50 teachers and school leaders. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=3145
Parents and advocates testified that students encounter YouTube, Play Prodigy, and other online tools on DOE devices, and some speakers called for a two-year moratorium on AI in classrooms while the city develops enforceable guidelines. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=14756 https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=12948 https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=12245
A Council member noted 6,491 responses had been submitted to the DOE’s AI guidance; DOE staff said those comments are not yet public but that they intend to make them available. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=1035
DOE witnesses stated the system does not use biometric detection tools and noted such tools are prohibited by law. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=3145
Several technical and policy gaps were identified in testimony. DOE staff said they do not currently use a solid tool to track bias in AI outputs and that human judgment must remain central to instructional uses of AI. Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=4137 https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=6408
Source: https://youtu.be/VfIjWNkh0wk&t=0
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