Microsoft has agreed with the American Federation of Teachers not to use teacher or student data from schools to train AI models, under a legally enforceable privacy and safety pact, Politico reports.. The agreement also bars Microsoft from tracking students, requires human oversight for AI decisions in schools, and commits the company to explain to educators and parents how its AI tools work..
The protections include exceptions for what were described as narrow safety and security scenarios.. AFT, the second-largest teachers union in the United States, has described the deal as a first-of-its-kind effort to address what it says are gaps left by the absence of federal AI guardrails..
“We have forged a hard-fought, iron-clad privacy agreement with real teeth that protects students and families, because no one else, including the federal government, has stepped up to do the real work,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said in a statement.. “We can get angrier and angrier, or we can act decisively, anything less than legally enforceable provisions is simply a wish list,” Weingarten said..
Microsoft would be liable for breach of contract if it violates any part of the agreement.. The protections will be available to school districts starting on Nov. 1, after months of negotiations between Microsoft and the union..
AFT is also in active talks with OpenAI and Anthropic in an effort to secure similar agreements.. The deal comes as school systems move to restrict AI use. New York City recently announced a one-year moratorium on the technology for students through eighth grade, while Los Angeles imposed a one-year moratorium for all public school students..
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