AFT's $23m AI Training Initiative Sparks Controversy Over Big Tech Influence

Teachers in the US are turning to AI training as they struggle to keep up with rapidly changing technology. According to Darius Saczuk, a high school teacher from Queens, AI is 'killing our jobs' and 'changing our society'. He believes understanding AI is essential for retaining his job.

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has launched the National Academy for AI Instruction with $23m in funding from Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic. The goal is to train 400,000 educators over five years, helping them understand both the benefits and harms of AI in the classroom.

However, critics argue that the training initiative hands more power to big tech companies, which may not have education's best interests at heart. Audrey Watters, author of Teaching Machines: The History of Personalized Learning, believes that by partnering with tech companies, educators are being steered towards tools that undermine students' learning.

Despite the controversy, AFT President Randi Weingarten argues that AI training is a 'moral imperative'. She claims it empowers teachers to make informed decisions about how and when to use AI in their instruction. Microsoft's Justin Spelhaug believes that by partnering with teachers' unions, they can learn directly from educators on what they want and need in the classroom.