'This might actually force some actual brain cells to fire': Norway is banning younger school kids from using generative AI

Norway is taking steps to limit how generative AI can be used in schools from the start of the next school year.

'Cautious' use is allowed from age 13. AI access will be limited in Norway for under-13s. The guidelines are coming into force in September. From age 13, AI can be "cautiously" introduced.

It's not just social media that governments are cracking down on when it comes to access for kids: Norway has now decreed that generative AI should effectively be banned for schoolchildren up to the age of 13. Starting in September, children in grades 1-7 (primary school, younger than 13) will "generally not be given access to AI" according to the official ruling translated from Norwegian (via Reuters).

From ages 13 and up, "AI can be used gradually and cautiously", provided teachers have been given 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 math skills should come first - and in these areas, skills and grades have been in decline for kids in Norway over the last 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."

AI and social media

Phones have been banned from school classrooms in Norway since 2024, and the restrictions on AI use come after social media was banned for under-16s earlier this year - following a similar move by the authorities in Australia in 2025, and matching legislation that the UK plans to enforce from next year.

The safety of both social media and generative AI are facing increasing scrutiny from governments and regulators around the world, especially when it comes to children and young people. The UK's proposed social media ban also includes guidelines for how AI should be used at younger ages too.

Many apps and platforms are making pre-emptive moves: ChatGPT already comes with robust parental controls, and has a lower age limit of 13, for example. Meta, meanwhile, is experimenting with using more AI to better detect the age of its users, so 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 floats concerns about the "hallucinated garbage" that AI can produce.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.