Anthropic, AFT, and UFT Establish Enforceable AI Safety Standards

AI Safety and Privacy Standards in K-12 Education Strengthened by New Agreement

NEW YORK—In a significant move towards enhancing AI safety in education, a legally binding agreement has been established between Anthropic, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). This accord is set to enforce AI safety, privacy, and transparency standards across numerous U.S. K-12 schools.

The AI Safety and Privacy Standard for Schools is automatically incorporated into Anthropic’s prior agreements with school districts employing Claude for Teachers. This initiative builds on Anthropic's collaboration with the unions, which includes the New York City-based National Academy for AI Instruction. The announcement signifies the formal activation of these principles.

Earlier in May, amid a 10-point plan aimed at enhancing student learning in the AI era, the AFT, which represents 1.875 million members, advocated for a ban on student-facing AI in elementary schools, a screen ban for kindergarten through second grade, and a complete prohibition on “social companion” chatbots for those under 16 years old.

"We said repeatedly that the guardrails for AI are just as important as any training we were doing for AI," stated AFT President Randi Weingarten. "That’s why I’m glad our AI Safety and Privacy agreement is now one step closer to an industry standard with Anthropic joining us. And while we want this standard embedded in law, the action we’re taking today is proof positive that we can create a future that is safer for our students, our teachers and our communities."

"In the almost total absence of federal and state AI regulation, we want to make certain no teacher or parent ever has to choose between AI tools and the safety and privacy of their children. This legally binding contract is how we build a world where algorithms and technology can never replace human judgment, relationships or responsibility."

Key Principles of the Agreement

• Student data is off-limits. Student and educator information must be used solely for authorized educational purposes. It cannot be sold or exploited for targeted advertising. Schools retain control over their data, including decisions on data retention and deletion.
• Educators stay in charge. AI products must include protective measures designed for schools. Educators maintain responsibility for instructional and consequential decisions about students, not AI systems.
• No “black boxes.” Schools, educators, and families receive clear, understandable information regarding the operation of AI products, the data they collect, potential shortcomings, and applicable safeguards.

In July, Anthropic introduced Claude for Teachers, an AI tool intended for adult educators. This tool offers verified U.S. K-12 educators complimentary access to Claude, a repository of teaching skills, and a direct link to evidence-based curricula aligned with academic standards across all 50 states.

"As society adapts to AI, we must work to protect and enhance the deeply important work of teachers," said Elizabeth Kelly, the head of beneficial deployments at Anthropic. "That is only possible if teachers, students and school systems trust us. These agreements provide a foundation for that trust. We will live up to them and build on them for our education approach globally."

"This latest agreement continues our work as educators to keep our students and their families safe. Ideally, the federal government would step in, but since it hasn’t, teachers unions are working to hold AI companies accountable. We are heartened that Anthropic sees the value of upholding student privacy and listening to parents and educators," expressed Michael Mulgrew, president of the 200,000-member United Federation of Teachers in New York City.

As a founding partner of the National Academy for AI Instruction, Anthropic collaborates with the AFT, UFT, Microsoft, and OpenAI. The academy focuses on educators leading peers in understanding and determining the most ethical and effective use of AI in classrooms.

The full agreement can be viewed here.

The AFT Overview

The AFT represents 1.875 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.

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