The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) - alongside the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and lead partner Microsoft Corporation, founding partner OpenAI and Anthropic, have announced the launch of the National Academy for AI (Artificial Intelligence) Instruction. The groundbreaking $23 million education initiative will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all 1.8 million Members of the AFT, starting with K-12 Educators. It will be based at a state-of-the-art, bricks-and-mortar facility in New York City (Manhattan) that is designed to transform how AI is taught and integrated into classrooms across the U.S. The academy will help address the gap in structured, accessible AI training and provide a national model for AI-integrated curriculum and teaching that puts Educators in the driver’s seat. “AI holds tremendous promise but huge challenges - and it’s our job as Educators to make sure AI serves our students and society, not the other way around,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said. “The direct connection between a teacher and their kids can never be replaced by new technologies, but if we learn how to harness it, set commonsense guardrails and put Teachers in the driver’s seat, teaching and learning can be enhanced.” The program is the first partnership between a national Union and Tech Companies, structured to create a sustainable education infrastructure for AI.

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