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Los Angeles Unified is blocking student access to artificial intelligence tools on district-issued devices. This decision, announced at a new AI committee meeting, surprised board members and parents.
Previously, LAUSD policy permitted students aged 13 and older to use AI tools with supervision after completing digital citizenship lessons. In June, the board implemented broad student screentime restrictions but did not specify AI limitations, instead forming an ad hoc generative AI committee to propose future policies. The recent decision to block AI access on district devices, announced at the committee's kickoff meeting, surprised many, including board members. Committee chair Kelly Gonez supported the temporary pause to allow for thorough policy development.
While there is no existing policy to prevent students from using AI tools on their personal devices for schoolwork, the district's web-filtering software, Lightspeed, actively blocks access to AI tools on LAUSD-issued Chromebooks and tablets if a student signs in with their district profile. This software also tracks student screen time and app usage on these devices. David Cooper, senior director of information technology, confirmed this tracking, and interim chief information officer Douglas Le stated that this data will eventually be accessible to students' families through the Parent Portal app, as well as to teachers and the board.
The LAUSD board's generative AI committee is scheduled to hold meetings on specific Wednesdays through April 2027, starting at 10 a.m. Community members are invited to participate either in person at the board room located at 333 S. Beaudry Ave., or by tuning in online or via phone. Additionally, the district is providing relevant information concerning student screentime and other technology usage, including details about a series of webinars, on its official website, lausd.org/screentime. An infobox within the article also provides contact details for each LAUSD Board Member, encouraging engagement.