In 1969, Internet was born as two computers at University of California, Los Angeles-UCLA changed the world forever, over 55 years later New York City is banning Artificial Intelligence-AI in public schools

In 1969, in what some regard as the birth of the internet, two connected computers at the University of California, Los Angeles, passed test data through a 15-foot cable. During 1960s, the modern internet was still unimaginable to most people. There were no smartphones, social media platforms, streaming services or websites connecting billions of users. Yet inside a university laboratory in Los Angeles, a small experiment was about to change the course of technology. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, attempted to send the word “LOGIN” from a computer at UCLA to another computer at the Stanford Research Institute, more than 300 miles away. The system crashed after transmitting only the letters “LO,” but that tiny exchange became a defining moment in the history of computer networking. UCLA identifies the event as the first message sent over ARPANET, the precursor to today’s internet.

The story began with Leonard Kleinrock, a UCLA computer scientist whose earlier research helped establish the theoretical foundation for packet-switched computer networks. Packet switching was revolutionary because it offered a way to divide information into smaller units, or packets, and move those packets efficiently through a network. Instead of requiring an entire communication channel to remain dedicated to one conversation, network resources could be shared dynamically. Kleinrock had published foundational work on packet-switching theory years before ARPANET became operational. His research helped provide the intellectual framework for a system in which computers could communicate across a distributed network.

UCLA became the first ARPANET node


UCLA became the first ARPANET node in September 1969. The project was supported by the Advanced Research Projects Agency, or ARPA, within the U.S. Department of Defense. The agency invested in university research aimed at developing advanced computing and communications capabilities. According to UCLA, its Sigma 7 host computer became the first node on ARPANET, while an Interface Message Processor, or IMP, served as the network's early switching equipment. The IMP performed a role comparable in broad concept to modern networking equipment, helping computers communicate across the emerging network.

Then came the historic October experiment. UCLA student programmer Charley Kline, working under Kleinrock's supervision, attempted to establish a connection with programmer Bill Duvall at the Stanford Research Institute. The goal was to transmit the command “LOGIN.” The computers were not connected through anything resembling today's high-speed internet infrastructure. Instead, researchers were testing an entirely new approach to computer communication. Kline entered the first letter, “L,” and Stanford confirmed its arrival. He then sent “O,” which was also received. When the next part of the command was transmitted, the receiving computer crashed because of a memory problem. The first message therefore became simply “LO.”

AI Ban in New York City Schools

New York City will ban the use of artificial intelligence for students in public schools through eighth grade, a source close to the matter told AFP on Wednesday, confirming US media reports. Teachers and parents have warned against the use of AI in schools over concerns about harming children's mental health and cognitive development, as well as environmental damage.

AI use will only be allowed in high school, which begins in the ninth grade in the American school system, the source said. Even then, it will be limited to specific uses, such as learning about the technology itself, they said. Eighth graders in the US are typically about 13 years old.

New York City Hall and the city's education department did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment. According to the New York Times, AI "companion chatbots" offering psychological support will also be banned. The rules, however, allow teachers to use AI for tasks including preparing lessons or writing messages.

The new rules are to be announced on Wednesday, the Times reported. The city's education department recommends limiting screen time to 45 minutes in class for middle schoolers -- sixth through eighth grade -- and 30 minutes for elementary school students. But the question remains of how to monitor AI use, since it often takes place outside the school environment.

The new rules follow an initial framework published in March, which used a traffic light system to determine which tasks AI would be used for. The framework, which allowed students to use AI for research, exploration and creative projects, sparked fury among many parents and teachers who considered it too lenient.

In response, the city's schools chancellor Kamar Samuels said that leaders had "missed the mark" in their communications, adding his office would carefully review parents' feedback for incorporation into future rules. The city had long planned to follow the March framework with a more comprehensive "guidebook" to take feedback into account, the education department has said.

The department will set up a task force made up of teachers, elected officials, experts and union representatives. The task force is to produce a report in April, intended to serve as the basis for New York's AI-in-schools policy.

The city's public school technology policies are closely watched by the rest of the United States, as it is by far the largest school district in the country, with over 900,000 students in 2024–2025.