Key Takeaways
- Microsoft has agreed to a set of safety and privacy principles for AI in schools.
- The agreement is part of a new contract with the American Federation of Teachers and its New York City affiliate.
- The terms include not training AI models on student or educator data.
Microsoft has agreed to a set of safety and privacy principles for artificial intelligence (AI) in schools, in a move to address concerns raised by two major school systems that recently banned student-facing AI.
The agreement, reached 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), outlines ten principles that can be contractually enforced by school districts.
Under the agreement, Microsoft has committed to not training AI models on student or educator data, a significant step towards ensuring the privacy of individuals involved in the educational system.
The company has also pledged to limit the amount of data it collects from schools and to disclose how its tools work in plain language, making it easier for families to understand the technology's use.
According to the agreement, Microsoft will also ensure that its AI tools are transparent and that they do not pose a risk to the privacy or security of students and educators.
The terms of the agreement are designed to provide a framework for school districts to adopt and enforce, ensuring that AI technologies used in education are both safe and privacy-friendly.
The move comes a week after two major school systems announced a ban on student-facing AI, highlighting the growing concerns around the use of AI in educational settings.
By agreeing to these principles, Microsoft aims to regain the trust of educators and parents who have raised concerns about the potential misuse of student data in AI applications.
