Months before New York City barred generative AI from classrooms, Norway had already banned it nationwide — exposing a gap in the EU's own AI rulebook.
Norway banned generative AI from its primary schools back in June, becoming one of the first countries in the world to draw a hard line against the technology in classrooms, months before the United States' largest school district followed suit.
The Norwegian ban, which took effect at the end of August, covers grades one to seven and permits supervised use only up to the age of 16.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre has said the technology risks letting children skip foundational steps in learning to read, write and do basic maths — concerns that have since echoed across the Atlantic.
Italy has taken a softer but still restrictive approach. Its Law 132/2025 has required parental consent for under-14s to use AI since October last year, rather than banning it outright — a second, distinct model for regulating AI in classrooms now in force within the EU.
