- AI access will be limited in Norway for under 13s
- The guidelines will come into force in September
- From the age of 13, AI can be introduced “carefully”.
It’s not just social media that governments crack down on when it comes to access for children: Norway has now decreed that generative artificial intelligence must effectively be banned for school children up to 13 years of age.
Starting in September, children in grades 1-7 (primary school, younger than 13) will “generally not have access to AI,” according to the official ruling translated from Norwegian (via Pakinomist). From the age of 13 upwards, “AI can be used gradually and cautiously”, provided the teachers have received the necessary training.
While the Norwegian government acknowledges that AI can be beneficial for learning in certain scenarios, the statement emphasizes that basic reading, writing and maths skills should come first – and in these areas, skills and grades have been in decline for children in Norway over the past few years.
“Research shows that uncritical use of generative AI in schools increases the risk of skipping important stages of learning,” explains the official statement, translated from Norwegian. “The youngest students do not have the knowledge, critical reflection and self-regulation needed to use AI well.”
Norway almost bans artificial intelligence in primary school from r/technology
Phones have been banned from school classrooms in Norway since 2024, and the restrictions on artificial intelligence use come after social media was banned for under-16s earlier this year – following a similar move by authorities in Australia in 2025 and matching legislation the UK plans to enforce from next year.
The safety of both social media and generative AI is facing increasing scrutiny from governments and regulators around the world, especially when it comes to children and young people. The UK’s proposed ban on social media also includes guidelines on how artificial intelligence should also be used at younger ages.
Many apps and platforms are making preemptive moves: ChatGPT already comes with robust parental controls and, for example, has a lower age limit of 13 years. Meta, meanwhile, is experimenting with using more artificial intelligence to better detect the age of its users so that relevant limits and restrictions can be put in place.
The general consensus online seems to be that it’s the right move. “This ban might actually force some actual brain cells to fire for once,” writes one user on Reddit, while another raises concerns about the “hallucinated garbage” that AI can produce.
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