Microsoft Sets New AI Privacy Standard for Schools After Negotiations with Teachers Union
Microsoft has agreed to adopt sweeping AI privacy rules for students in its products used by schools across the country. This move comes after the company negotiated with the American Federation of Teachers, the second-largest teachers union in the US. The new standards will not allow Microsoft to use student or educator data to train AI systems, except for a narrow exception that could help protect students.
The agreement also prohibits the use of AI companions or features designed to foster emotional attachment or dependency and requires companies to disclose how their tools work to families in plain language. The standards are legally binding and will require third-party audits for compliance.
Other leading AI companies, OpenAI and Anthropic, have said they are discussing similar safety and privacy pacts with the AFT. However, Google has not commented on whether it plans to offer similar protections.
Experts in data privacy say the new standards could help shape the conversation that schools have with AI providers and shift the burden of protecting student privacy from schools to tech companies. Microsoft's vice chair and president, Brad Smith, said the company is committed to ensuring that AI is provided in a form that teachers, kids, and parents can trust.