Kuala Lampur, Sept. 4 -- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's decision to impose a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI from preschool through Grade 8 deserves Malaysia's attention. The message behind the policy is more important than the ban itself: technology must serve learning, not replace the intellectual struggle through which learning occurs.

As curriculum practitioners, we should resist the temptation to insert AI into every subject simply because it is available. A good curriculum is not designed around tools. It is designed around what learners must know, understand, practise and eventually do independently.

Malaysia could therefore consider an age-progressive AI curriculum. At primary level, priority should rem...