Collaboration of AFT with OpenAI for an AI Education Program: Key Details Revealed
New National AI Academy for Teachers Launches in Partnership with Major Tech Companies
The National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million education initiative, has been launched to bridge the gap in accessible, structured AI training for educators. The academy is a collaborative effort between Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT).
Based in Manhattan, the academy will have a state-of-the-art physical facility for in-person, hands-on training and workshops. However, it will also offer a significant online and distributed component to reach educators nationwide. The academy aims to support about 400,000 educators over five years, potentially impacting more than 7.2 million students.
The academy's focus is threefold. First, it aims to train teachers to use AI tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Anthropic’s Claude effectively for lesson planning, quiz creation, and explaining complex topics. Second, it emphasizes ethical, responsible, and safe AI use in education. Third, it supports teachers to not just learn AI but to co-create tools, provide feedback to developers, and shape AI integration in schools.
The academy will also offer credential pathways and continuing education credits. It will begin instruction in fall 2025 and is planned as a program spanning at least five years to build a sustainable AI education infrastructure.
The academy will feature AI labs, spaces for teachers and developers to collaborate on ideas, and a studio for podcasting and other virtual work. It will prioritize teacher connection and collaboration, with multiple classrooms, meeting rooms, and spaces for teachers and developers to work together.
Privacy, safety, and teacher choice will be emphasized in the academy. The academy will not focus on policy or regulation at the 10,000-foot or 20,000-foot level. Instead, it aims to open up a two-way dialog between educators and tech designers.
The academy already has over 2 million unique users due to the AFT's existing online presence, with its Share My Lesson website. This partnership represents the first large-scale partnership between a national teachers' union and major tech companies to build a sustainable, educator-led AI training infrastructure.
Some teachers may initially be skeptical about technology, including AI, in the classroom. However, the academy is intended to address these concerns and help teachers become more comfortable with AI tools. The academy will initially launch in the fall, but sessions will take place in temporary spaces until the physical space is ready.
The academy is a response to criticism that Big Tech has abandoned teachers in the past, particularly in regards to social media. By partnering with the AFT, the academy aims to prevent the disconnect between educators and tech designers and ensure teachers have a leading role in guiding AI use in education.
- The National Academy for AI Instruction, a new education initiative, aims to train teachers to use AI tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Anthropic’s Claude effectively for lesson planning, quiz creation, and explaining complex topics, thus promoting AI in education.
- The academy will offer a significant online and distributed component to reach educators nationwide, making online education more accessible and interactive with the help of artificial intelligence.
- The academy emphasizes ethical, responsible, and safe AI use in education, ensuring that learning and self-development through technology is a positive and secure experience for students.
- The academy will also support teachers to not just learn AI but to co-create tools, provide feedback to developers, and shape AI integration in schools, fostering collaboration between educators and tech designers.
- The National Academy for AI Instruction is a collaborative effort between multiple entities, including Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), demonstrating a strong commitment to education-and-self-development through technology.
