Microsoft, responding to a mounting backlash to artificial intelligence and screentime, announced last week it has agreed to adopt privacy standards for AI in schools, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The new standards, negotiated with the American Federation of Teachers as part of a legally binding agreement, puts some pressure on other technology companies to follow suit with their own agreements to ensure safety and privacy.
The announcement follows a decision by New York City and Los Angeles schools to halt student use of AI for a year as they review how to use the technology in their schools.
According to AFT, the nation’s second-largest teachers union, the agreement requires third-party audits to monitor compliance.
With AI becoming a ubiquitous part of the school experience — it is embedded in a growing number of classroom tools that students are required to use — the education system’s responsibility to protect AI-generated student data has become paramount.
