The American Federation of Teachers, a major US labour union with around 1.8 million members, has launched a National Academy for AI Instruction to train educators on using artificial intelligence in the classroom. The $23m programme, funded entirely by Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic, aims to train 400,000 teachers over five years, but has proved controversial: supporters see it as essential preparation, while critics argue it hands tech companies undue influence over education and pushes tools that could undermine student learning.

The initiative was prompted by a lack of official guidance in schools, despite widespread AI use: Pew Research found over half of surveyed teens use AI for schoolwork, and nearly six in ten believe cheating with AI is common at their schools, while an NPR/Ipsos poll found only around four in ten teachers receive AI-related training from their schools. AFT president Randi Weingarten defended the partnership as a "moral imperative" given the absence of alternative funding, insisting the union is not promoting AI use but ensuring teachers understand the technology. Microsoft is the largest funder, contributing $12.5m, with the company saying it wants educators to have input into how its AI products are shaped and used.