- The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is launching an initiative with AI Instruction, aiming to teach 400,000 students how to use AI.
- Funding comes from Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic; the total amount is set at $23m.
- The material also discusses how AI could be introduced in schools through OpenAI Education Plugins.
The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is launching a national initiative with AI Instruction, which it says will help teachers teach students how to use AI in class. The material notes that the initiative involves 400,000 students. It also says that the program is funded by Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic, with a total of $23m, including $12.5m from Microsoft.
In addition, the material states that the initiative is not intended for teachers. For example, AFT President Randi Weingarten said that the initiative gives teachers the ability to use AI in the classroom, without financial incentives from big tech companies or other financial interests. In turn, the author of Teaching Machines: The History of Personalized Learning, Audrey Watters, argues that big tech could use such a program to expose schools and students to AI and thus spread its interests.
The material also notes that AI could be introduced in schools without clear official recommendations. Based on Pew Research Center’s opinion, provided in the article, research suggests that schools could face serious risks if AI is used without proper regulation. At the same time, the material cites a statement that the more schools use AI, the more likely it is to become a tool that influences teaching methods and learning outcomes. The article also refers to a comment by NPR/Ipsos, which says that the public should be careful about how AI is used in schools.
In addition, the material suggests that OpenAI Education Plugins could be used to enhance AI teaching in schools, which could allow companies to control how learning is conducted. Forbes also notes that it is possible to use such plugins for K-12 education, where students are likely to use them to learn and where the companies could monitor students’ behavior and interaction. The author of the material writes that the point is not only about the effectiveness of such tools, but also about how they may affect students’ privacy and data protection.
The material also quotes The Guardian, which says that AFT’s position is “highly concerning”: students are taught personal data, and “about 150 pupils’ opinions” are collected. The article also cites a statement by a teacher who says that AI should not be used in classrooms, and that it could lead to “surveillance.”
It also notes that The Guardian says that AI in schools could be used for purposes other than education. In particular, it quotes Phillip Perry, who says that AI for teaching is being developed to analyze students’ behavior and thus identify what students need. The article also cites Tanushree Sengupta, who says that AI for general-purpose practice could be used to analyze students’ behavior and thus identify what they need.