Overview
- On Tuesday, Sept. 9, the American Federation of Teachers, the United Federation of Teachers and Microsoft unveiled a 10-point National AI Safety & Privacy Standard that districts can insert into Microsoft contracts to make protections legally binding.
- Microsoft said the protections will apply to the districts it serves starting November 1 and that the company will submit to annual certifications and audits under the deal.
- The standard lists 10 enforceable rules that include bans on using student or teacher data to train AI models, prohibitions on tracking students, a bar on student-facing companion chatbots, a 72-hour breach-notice requirement, and bans on selling student data or using it for advertising.
- Districts that adopt the terms gain new remedies including the right to terminate contracts and seek damages for violations, while the agreement allows narrow safety and security exceptions and unions are pressing other AI firms to sign on.
- The pact aims to fill a gap left by older federal law such as COPPA and stalled congressional efforts by turning union-led guardrails and local policies into contract terms, but its practical reach will depend on how many districts adopt the language and whether other vendors join the pledge.