Microsoft Signs Agreement with Teachers Unions on AI Safety and Privacy

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the United Federation of Teachers have announced an agreement with Microsoft to establish a legally enforceable safety and privacy standard for artificial intelligence in schools.

The agreement, which will go into effect on November 1st, bars Microsoft from using student and educator data to train AI models, selling or using that data for advertising purposes, and ensures that schools have control over how the data is used, retained, and erased.

The National AI Safety and Privacy Standard also requires Microsoft's AI tools to implement strong security protections and be designed to avoid harmful or manipulative experiences for students.

AFT President Randi Weingarten expressed her desire for other companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, to sign the agreement, citing concerns over the potential risks of using AI in schools without proper guardrails.