Mission Statement
The National Academy for AI Instruction meets the challenges of artificial intelligence in schools and in society. Educators want AI to be safe, fair, effective, and ethical. We put educators’ voices first, provide training and support, and encourage innovation that improves learning without replacing the human connection. Our goal is to help students succeed, reduce unnecessary workload for educators, and keep the human side of teaching strong. We also focus on building critical thinking skills so students and educators can recognize and push back against misinformation and disinformation. Through research, training, partnerships, and advocacy, we make sure classrooms use AI in ways that always centers educators and students.
What Makes the Academy Different?
Union-Led
We are leading—not reacting—to how AI is used in schools.
Ethical by Design
Every aspect is guided by data privacy, anti-bias, and equity.
Real-World Ready
The Academy provides practical tools and training teachers can use immediately.
Where We Started
AFL-CIO and Microsoft Announce New Tech-Labor Partnership on AI and the Future of the Workforce
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and Microsoft Corp. on Monday announced the formation of a new partnership to create an open dialogue to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) must anticipate the needs of workers and include their voices in its development and implementation. This partnership paved the way for the AFT to join forces with Microsoft on the creation of the AFT's AI Symposium.
Pitfalls and promise of AI at Chicago’s AFT-Microsoft conference
At “AI in Education and Beyond,” a joint AFT-Microsoft conference in Chicago Aug. 11-13, participants voiced joy and fear in the same breath: Excitement at the learning options artificial intelligence opens versus concern for student safety. Interest in how much mindless administrative work AI can save versus fear it will replace vital human expertise. Preparing kids for an AI-infused workplace versus alarm at the ever-widening digital gap. But from early adapters to skeptics, agreement was clear on one thing: An educator-labor voice in AI is essential—and the AFT’s unlikely collaboration with Microsoft may help us get there.
AFT AI Symposium charts creative, ethical path forward
The AFT Artificial Intelligence Symposium, held July 24 in Washington, D.C., brimmed with enthusiasm for the myriad ways AI can ignite learning, spur creativity and alleviate workloads—and offered a host of warnings about potential harm if educators and unions do not step up to meet this transformative moment.
FAQs
Why is AFT partnering with tech companies like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic?
AFT is partnering with these companies not out of blind trust but from a place of strategic necessity. AI is rapidly shaping the future of education, labor, and policy. If we’re not at the table influencing how it’s used, we risk being left out of decisions that directly impact our members. These partnerships are about protecting jobs, ensuring ethical use of AI, and making sure the technology supports, not replaces, our people. We’re engaging with eyes wide open to help shape AI in ways that align with our values of equity, privacy, and educator empowerment.
How are you addressing privacy and data concerns in these partnerships?
We’ve made data privacy and ethical use non-negotiable in our collaborations. Our partners know we’re watching closely. We are advocating for strong protections, transparency, and member-first design. AFT does not endorse a specific company - we are ensuring our educators are trained on how to use the tools to help them with their jobs. WE are challenging these companies to do better for our members and for all educators and students. And we’re bringing our legal, tech, and policy experts to every table to hold these companies accountable.
Why is AFT engaging with technology companies on artificial intelligence?
At the AFT, we always start by asking: What’s best for our members, students, families, and the communities they serve? That guiding question led us to partner with a few selected technology companies. AI is not a future concept—it’s already reshaping how classrooms operate, how educators work, and how decisions are made in education and beyond. We believe educators and unions must be at the table to shape these changes, not just react to them.
What if members are concerned about partnering with tech companies?
We understand and share those concerns. Many technology companies have not earned the public’s trust, and there are real questions about data privacy, job security, and the role of profit in public education. These concerns are not only valid, they’re essential to raise. That’s why we’re engaging critically and intentionally: to protect educator voice, safeguard public values, and ensure AI serves the common good.
What does the AI Academy actually do?
The AFT AI Academy is a hands-on, member-centered space designed to explore, test, and shape the use of artificial intelligence in our schools and workplaces. It will offer training, host policy labs, develop resources, and convene educators and union leaders to build AI fluency and to demand tools that work for us, not against us. It’s about training with purpose and advocating with power so our members aren’t left behind.
Why now? Why AFT?
The moment demands it and our members deserve it. AI isn’t theoretical anymore. It’s already shaping hiring processes, student assessments, curriculum tools, and healthcare delivery. The old saying, “you’re either at the table or on the menu,” has never been more relevant. As one of the largest unions in the country, AFT has a unique opportunity to lead, not follow. We’re doing this not just for ourselves, but to protect the future of public education, labor, and democracy.
Are members involved in the development and direction of the AI Academy?
Absolutely. The AI Academy is being built by and for members. We are involving educators, school staff, healthcare professionals, and higher ed faculty from across the country. They’re shaping the curriculum, testing the tools, and raising the hard questions. This isn’t top-down—it’s a collaborative union-led model for responsible innovation. Our Commonsense Guardrails for using AI in Schools was created by our members to establish protection, safety, and member input into AI work.
Answers to Top Concerns
Concern: Is AI going to replace educators?
Absolutely not. The AFT is committed to ensuring AI supports educators, not replaces them. The Academy is focused on helping you use AI to reduce busywork, enhance learning, and strengthen—not weaken—human connection in the classroom.
Concern: Why is AFT working with tech companies?
Because AI is already shaping public education—and we believe educators must be at the table, not on the menu. These partnerships allow us to demand transparency, protect privacy, and ensure AI tools work for people, not just profits. AFT retains full control over content and messaging.
Concern: Will this be used to monitor or evaluate teachers?
The Academy is governed by our union values. We are actively developing policies and best practices to prevent misuse of AI for surveillance or punitive evaluation. Our goal is to empower, not police, our members.