Norway Imposes Near-Ban on Generative AI in Elementary Schools

Norway’s government announced on June 19, 2026 that it will impose strict restrictions on generative AI use in schools, taking effect at the start of the new academic year in late August. Under the tiered framework, students in grades one through seven (ages 6-13) will generally be prohibited from using AI tools. Students aged 14-16 may use AI cautiously under direct teacher supervision, while those aged 17-19 are expected to learn appropriate AI use to prepare for higher education and the workforce.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said at a press conference that “the most important thing in school is that our children learn to read, write, and do mathematics,” warning that “uncritical use of AI causes students to skip important learning steps.” The decision arrives against the backdrop of declining standardized test scores over the past decade and follows Norway’s 2024 smartphone ban in schools, which has been credited with reducing bullying and improving academic outcomes. The government also announced plans to increase funding for physical textbooks, reversing the trend toward computer tablets that began in the 1990s.

Norway’s approach stands in contrast to the more laissez-faire attitudes in many other countries and represents one of the most formal, age-specific AI restrictions in education adopted by any Western nation to date. The policy builds on a broader Nordic push to regulate children’s technology use, including proposed social media bans for under-16s. Other countries, including Japan and several EU member states, are watching the policy closely as they develop their own approaches to AI in education.

Why it matters: Norway’s near-ban establishes a precedent for age-gated AI access in education that other governments may follow — framing the core tension between preparing students for an AI-driven workforce and protecting foundational cognitive skill development during childhood.