Microsoft Signs Agreement to Protect Student Data with AI Chatbots

Millions of students rely on AI chatbots for help with schoolwork and emotional support. However, concerns have been growing about how their conversations and personal information are being used by these companies.

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) has negotiated an agreement with Microsoft to adopt guardrails and privacy standards for its AI in schools. This agreement prohibits the use of student or educator data to train AI systems, except for a narrow exception that could help protect students.

Microsoft also agreed not to sell, use for advertising, or use for product development any data it collects from students. The company will disclose how its tools work in plain language to families and implement audit and transparency measures.

The AFT said this agreement sets a high bar for child privacy and AI safety. It may become an industry standard, as two other leading AI companies, OpenAI and Anthropic, are discussing similar pacts with the AFT.

However, Google, the dominant provider of education technology, has not committed to offering similar protections. Experts say that until all tech giants sign on, students will remain vulnerable to data misuse.