Microsoft is working with the American Federation of Teachers to work out how best to use AI in the classroom

• Microsoft and two key US teaching federations have agreed safeguards on AI use within education across America
• The American Federation of Teachers and the United Federation of Teachers have made the deal with Microsoft after months of negotiations with all parties
• The AFT is in talks with other companies including OpenAI and Anthropic

After the failure to pass federal legislation to establish protections against AI overreach in schools, two teaching federations have taken the step of establishing legally-enforceable rules with Microsoft, covering the use of AI in schools.

Protections within the National AI Safety & Privacy Standard include the agreement not to use student or teacher data to train or improve AI models. Furthermore, any collected data will not be monetized, as educators attempt to find a middle ground that reduces screen time and balances technology use across all age groups.

This agreement follows various localized actions against AI use in schools, including a moratorium on AI use within the New York City school system, and a similar ban in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Iron-clad privacy

“We have forged a hard-fought, iron-clad privacy agreement with real teeth that protects students and families, because no one else, including the federal government, has stepped up to do the real work,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “We can get angrier and angrier, or we can act decisively; anything less than legally enforceable provisions is simply a wish list.”

The concerns of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) are multiple, and ultimately center on their teachers’ comfort, focus, and ability to conduct lessons without the specter of AI intrusions. So, issues about training data, monetization, screen time, and other AI-related challenges have been sewn up by the National AI Safety & Privacy Standard, which is legally enforceable.

“This agreement ensures three foundational goals: protect the privacy and data of children, give schools real control over AI tools in the classroom, and provide transparency and information to parents," Weingarten continued.

"And with New York City adopting our framework to ban screens and AI use in the younger years, this agreement adds to the momentum around online safety for kids and educators.”

Legally enforceable guardrails

The guardrails put in place by the agreement concern protecting privacy of educators, parents and students, enhancing safety of students and educators, and providing transparency and control about how AI is used in schools.

This also includes information about what data is collected and the protections that are in place. It places schools in control over the use of AI, and forces AI providers to communicate product changes and risks.

“This standard sets a high bar for child privacy and AI safety, and we’ll extend this agreement to every school district across the country,” said Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith.

Along with banning the use of student and teacher data for AI model training, the data will not be sold or repurposed, and again schools will control data use, along with how it is stored and deleted. The guardrails also ensure AI systems are protected by human oversight, and are designed to block harmful actions and protect sensitive information.

The AFT reports it is in talks with OpenAI and Anthropic to also adopt the National AI Safety & Privacy Standard.

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