NYC Department of Education delays updated AI guidelines as broader industry debate and training programs expand.

The NYC Department of Education still has not released updated AI guidelines for the 2025-26 school year, with the department pausing the traffic-light policy. Notably, the prior policy prohibited teachers from using AI for assessments and grading, but allowed AI use to create day-to-day lesson plans, leaving students without clear usage guidance as the new school year approaches.
Max Rose serves as a top adviser to VoteVets and is also an adviser to Leading the Future, an AI-industry group backed by major tech figures. Leading the Future’s top donors include OpenAI President Greg Brockman, Marc Andreessen, Ben Horowitz, and Joe Lonsdale, with Andreessen and Lonsdale noted as prominent supporters of President Donald Trump.
AICademy emphasizes a 'learn by doing' approach tailored to IT operations staff, offering free, self-paced, offline training built around real work contexts (e.g., Northwind Financial with 10,000 staff). It features eight hands-on programs, project-driven modules, and an AI tutor instead of traditional lectures.
West Texas A&M University is launching the Future Founders Academy for 30 high school students who will learn to use AI to develop real business ideas, receive mentorship from Engler College faculty, participate in on-campus sessions on specific dates, and compete with a live pitch on November 11, with scholarships covering tuition to the WT Engler College of Business.
NPC is hosting an online workshop titled 'Research and Writing in the Age of AI: Tools, Ethics, and Skills for Student Success,' aimed at helping NPC students use AI for research and writing while preserving their own voice and improving source credibility.
The NYC Department of Education has delayed releasing updated artificial intelligence guidelines for the 2025-26 school year, leaving parents and teachers without clear rules as classrooms prepare to use AI tools. The American Prospect reports the delay comes after the department paused its previous traffic-light policy, which had prohibited teachers from using AI for grading but allowed it for lesson planning—leaving students in limbo over what's permitted.
The guidance gap reflects a broader tension over AI's role in schools. Meanwhile, political insiders are quietly shaping AI policy through industry groups funded by tech billionaires, while schools and workers alike are scrambling to understand how to use the technology responsibly.
Parents and educators remain uncertain about artificial intelligence use in classrooms as the new school year approaches. The American Prospect confirms the NYC Department of Education has not yet issued updated guidelines, leaving the previous traffic-light policy in limbo. That old system allowed teachers to use AI for creating lesson plans but banned it for grading and assessing student work—a critical distinction for teaching and learning.
The delay matters because schools need clear rules before students arrive. Without guidance, teachers cannot confidently decide whether AI tutoring tools help learning or undermine critical thinking skills. The pending policy update is expected to address these concerns.
Former Democratic Congressman Max Rose is playing a dual role in artificial intelligence policy, according to The American Prospect. He serves as an adviser to VoteVets, a veterans-focused political group, and also advises Leading the Future—an industry group backed by major tech donors including OpenAI President Greg Brockman, Marc Andreessen, and Ben Horowitz.
This intersection of AI industry funding and political influence crosses party lines. Andreessen and Lonsdale are prominent supporters of President Donald Trump, showing how AI advocacy reaches both Democrats and Republicans. The arrangement illustrates how tech money shapes policy conversations in Washington.
AICademy offers a different approach to AI education—learning through doing rather than lectures. The free, self-paced program targets IT operations staff with eight hands-on modules tied to real work situations. Northwind Financial, which has 10,000 employees, uses AICademy's offline training so workers learn AI tools directly within their daily tasks.
This model contrasts with traditional classroom courses. An AI tutor guides learners through project-based work instead of standard lectures. The goal is to build skills workers can use immediately on the job.
West Texas A&M University is offering 30 high school students a chance to learn AI entrepreneurship through its new Future Founders Academy. Students will develop real business ideas using AI, receive mentorship from faculty at the Engler College of Business, and pitch their concepts live on November 11. Scholarships cover tuition to the business college.
Meanwhile, NPC is hosting an online workshop called 'Research and Writing in the Age of AI: Tools, Ethics, and Skills for Student Success.' The course teaches students to use AI for research while maintaining their own voice and checking source credibility—addressing concerns that AI could weaken academic integrity.
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