Teachers unions secure AI safety pact with Microsoft
Two major teachers unions have reached a legally binding agreement with Microsoft establishing privacy and safety standards for AI use in schools
The American Federation of Teachers and the United Federation of Teachers announced a legally enforceable artificial intelligence safety and privacy agreement with Microsoft on Wednesday. The pact sets a national standard for schools using the company's products, effective November 1.
Specifically, the agreement forbids Microsoft from using student or educator data to train its AI models. It also bars the sale of that data or its use for advertising. Schools retain ultimate control over how the data is used, stored, and deleted. Microsoft's AI tools must incorporate strong security protections and be designed to avoid harmful or manipulative experiences for students.
Every school district in the nation can adopt these AI safety and privacy standards. Districts can add them to new or existing Microsoft contracts without needing to renew or renegotiate terms.
A first-of-its-kind standard
AFT President Randi Weingarten called the deal "a first of its kind." She stated it arrives as federal and state laws currently lack enforcement mechanisms for AI guardrails in education. While Microsoft is the first company to agree to the unions' National AI Safety and Privacy Standard, Weingarten expressed hope others will follow.
She named OpenAI and Anthropic as desired future signatories. Both firms have already partnered with the unions and Microsoft on the National Academy for AI Instruction. That academy, launched last year, aims to train more than 400,000 teachers to be fluent in AI by 2030.
Union supports district moratoriums
The agreement emerges as two of the nation's largest school systems imposed their own restrictions. Last week, New York City Public Schools and Los Angeles Unified School District announced moratoriums on student-facing AI tools. They also moved to curb student screen time during the school day.
Weingarten said she supported these temporary bans and limits. "AI can be both powerful and dangerous," she noted during the press conference. She emphasized the need for deliberate adoption, stating, "You have to have a sense of how to use this, not how it just lands on us and we’re told to do it."
Call for younger student protections
Weingarten has previously advocated for stricter limits for younger children. In May, she called for a screen ban for students in pre-K through second grade. She also sought a prohibition on AI tools for all elementary students.
She reiterated that concern on Wednesday. Weingarten said the major reason for moratoriums on child-facing AI, like New York City's, is to preserve fundamental teaching and learning. "We have to get back to how we help develop the muscle of teaching and learning without the cognitive offloading," she said.
The unions now aim to extend their safety standard beyond a single technology provider.
