Teachers Union Puts Anthropic On A Leash Over Student Data

An artificial intelligence giant promised teachers unions that it would not mine children’s data at school.

Anthropic signed a memorandum of agreement with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) Tuesday to legally enforce safety and privacy measures that are transparent for schools and families, according to an AFT press release. The AFT’s National AI Safety & Privacy Standard addresses parents’ concerns about the potential harms AI poses to children as tech companies push their AI tools into classrooms.

The agreement requires that student data cannot be sold, teachers are responsible for making students’ educational decisions, and transparent information is sent to schools and parents about AI companies’ products, the press release stated.

Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT, outlined a 10-point plan to improve K-12 education in a speech on May 27, in which she called for a bans on screen use and student-facing AI for kindergarten and elementary students, as well as a ban on chatbot companions for children under 16 years old.

“These agreements are always too little, too late,” Michael Marinaccio, executive director of the Center for Responsible Technology, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Excessive screen use has been wreaking havoc on K-12 schools for the past decade.”

“‘Student-facing AI’ in classrooms is tantamount to child abuse and should be totally banned through at least grade 12,” Marinaccio added.

Marinaccio also argued that, rather than putting students and their education first, the deal is structured to shield teachers and corporations from lawsuits.

Another parent advocate was more optimistic about the deal.

“I think this is a positive step in the right direction,” Nicole Runyon, a psychotherapist and parent coach, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “I think we need to defer to teachers on this.”

Runyon emphasized that parents need to know AI companies and education technology sell their children’s data without permission.

“Parents have no idea just how dangerous a machine talking back to their kid can be,” Runyon added. “Children often talk to chatbots about feelings, sharing things as serious as suicidal thoughts. This is not safe for a child.”

‘The Value Of Upholding Student Privacy’

Anthropic and the teachers unions see the agreement as a major step for AI safety in the classroom, according to the release.

“As society adapts to AI, we must work to protect and enhance the deeply important work of teachers,” Elizabeth Kelly, the head of beneficial deployments at Anthropic, said in the press release. Kelly said the deal builds trust with teachers, their students and their school systems.

Claude for Teachers, released July 14, gives teachers premium Claude tools for free to support their instructional abilities and allow teachers more time to focus on students, according to the company’s announcement.

Anthropic contributed $500,000 to the AFT’s National Academy for AI Instruction in July 2025, alongside $10 million from OpenAI and $12.5 million from Microsoft, according to the AFT’s announcement.

“This legally binding contract is how we build a world where algorithms and technology can never replace human judgment, relationships or responsibility,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said in the release.

“This latest agreement continues our work as educators to keep our students and their families safe,” Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, said in the release. “We are heartened that Anthropic sees the value of upholding student privacy and listening to parents and educators.”

Weingarten and Mulgrew both emphasized the lack of action from the federal government to regulate AI, according to the press release.

“Ideally, the federal government would step in, but since it hasn’t, teachers unions are working to hold AI companies accountable,” Mulgrew said in the release.

Anthropic, the AFT and the UFT each did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.

Microsoft was the first major tech company to sign an AFT’s agreement in September, according to the Associated Press. As part of the deal, Microsoft agreed not to train its AI with data from students and teachers, except for data that protects students.

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