Microsoft agreed in September 2026 to a set of safety and privacy principles governing how its AI tools can be used in schools, one week after New York City and Los Angeles each announced one-year bans on student-facing AI tools.
The agreement was 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). Microsoft committed to ten principles that school districts can contractually enforce when adopting Microsoft products. Starting in November, districts will be able to add the terms to new or existing contracts without renegotiating their agreements in full.
The principles include a pledge not to train AI models on student or educator data, limits on how much data Microsoft collects, plain-language disclosures to families about how its tools work, a prohibition on AI companions, and a requirement for human review of “high-risk” decisions.
The agreement follows growing resistance from parents and some educators to the use of AI and screens in schools. AFT President Randi Weingarten had called in May for a ban on screens before third grade and on student-facing AI before middle school. The AFT also announced a $23 million AI training hub for educators, funded by Anthropic, Microsoft, and OpenAI.
In a statement, Weingarten described the terms as “iron-clad” and said they were necessary “because no one else, including the federal government, has stepped up to do the real work.” She added that “anything less than legally enforceable provisions is simply a wish list.”
The deal suggests Microsoft may be moving to get ahead of further restrictions, as school districts across the country weigh how — and whether — to incorporate AI tools into classrooms.
Source: The Verge