Richard Buery is chief executive of Robin Hood, a New York City organization working to reduce poverty, which he joined in September 2021. A former New York City deputy mayor for strategic policy initiatives, he worked on the city's Pre-K for All program. He previously led Children's Aid and Achievement First and co-founded iMentor. He attended Harvard and earned a law degree at Yale.
DI has documented statements by Richard Buery on Artificial Intelligence, Education, and Privacy. Read the quotations, original sources and related cases below.
Role at the time: CEO, Robin Hood Foundation; former NYC Deputy Mayor
Challenged the characterization
Statement summary
Richard Buery, CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation and a former NYC deputy mayor, said a "blanket one-year AI ban, without exceptions, on all uses through middle school" is "not the right call," arguing it may block uses that help students.
“a blanket one-year AI ban, without exceptions, on all uses through middle school... not the right call”
Buery challenges the premise that a blanket, exception-free ban is the right response, arguing it may block beneficial uses -- disputing the pause's design rather than defending or condemning AI use in schools outright.
Microsoft and teachers’ unions promote enforceable school-AI safeguards. Fairplay’s Josh Golin wants a five-year pause, while New York City permits restricted high-school pilots. Critics of those pilots say they should wait for evidence and assessment criteria.
