Microsoft has agreed to a set of safety and privacy principles for AI in schools, just a week after two major school systems announced a ban on student-facing AI. The company has committed to ten principles that can be contractually enforced by school districts that adopt them. These terms include pledging not to train AI models on student or educator data, limiting the amount of data Microsoft collects, and disclosing to families how its tools work in plain language.

The agreement was made with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the second-largest teachers union in the US, and its New York City affiliate the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). Beginning in November, school districts can opt to add the terms to new or existing agreements without having to renegotiate their entire contracts.

The move comes after New York City and Los Angeles both implemented one-year bans on AI tools for many students, giving the districts time to consider the proper use and guardrails. As parents and some educators have resisted the use of AI and screens more generally in schools, Microsoft likely recognizes that similar decisions could be coming.

AFT President Randi Weingarten called the terms "iron-clad" and necessary "because no one else, including the federal government, has stepped up to do the real work." She added, "We can get angrier and angrier, or we can act decisively; anything less than legally enforceable provisions is simply a wish list." The AFT has been critical of tech in schools, but also open to working with tech companies to prepare for the current AI wave.

In a May speech, Weingarten called for a ban on screens before third grade as well as "student-facing AI" before middle school. But the group also announced a $23 million AI training hub for educators funded by Anthropic, Microsoft, and OpenAI. The new privacy agreement with Microsoft is a significant step forward in addressing concerns around AI in schools.

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