Microsoft Teams with Teachers Unions on National AI Governance Standard
A coalition of Microsoft and two teachers' unions has established a national standard for AI governance in schools. The National AI Safety and Privacy Standard, developed jointly by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and its New York City affiliate, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), sets contractual protections governing AI and data use in education. The standard is designed to give school districts more control over what happens to student and educator data when using Microsoft's education-focused AI products.
The agreement includes 10 principles covering privacy, security, transparency, and human oversight. These principles restrict the sale of student and educator data, limit its use for unrelated purposes, and prohibit practices such as behavioral tracking and long-term profiling. The standard also requires providers to give districts information about how education-focused AI products operate and their known limitations.
This development comes amid growing scrutiny of technology's role in classrooms. The AFT has advocated for stricter regulations on AI use in schools, citing concerns that existing privacy legislation does not adequately address emerging technologies. The standard sets a precedent for AI governance in education, with Microsoft committing to make equivalent protections available to all its education customers.