Microsoft Pledges AI Safety Standards for Schools, But Will Others Follow?

Millions of students worldwide rely on AI chatbots for schoolwork, emotional support, and personal advice. However, educators, parents, and kids are growing increasingly concerned about how their conversations and personal information are being used by these companies.

The country's two largest school districts, New York City and Los Angeles, have announced a one-year moratorium on student use of AI tools to study how to best incorporate the technology into education. In response, Microsoft has agreed to adopt guardrails and privacy standards for its AI tools in schools, negotiated with the American Federation of Teachers.

The agreement prohibits using student data to train AI systems apart from a narrow exception for protecting students. It also prevents the use of AI companions designed to foster emotional attachment or dependency and requires companies to disclose how their tools work in plain language.

Brad Smith, Microsoft's vice chair and president, said the standards would apply to all schools with Microsoft contracts starting November 1. The AFT has called on other tech giants, particularly Google, to sign on to the agreement.