Tools & Platforms
AFT to Launch National Academy for AI Instruction with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic and United Federation of Teachers
NEW YORK, July 10, 2025 — The AFT, alongside the United Federation of Teachers and lead partner Microsoft Corp., founding partner OpenAI, and Anthropic, announced the launch of the National Academy for AI 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 Manhattan facility designed to transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States.
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.
Teachers are facing tremendous technological changes, which include the challenges of navigating AI wisely, ethically and safely. They are overwhelmed and looking for ways to gain the skills they need to help their students succeed. The program is the first partnership between a national union and tech companies, structured to create a sustainable education infrastructure for AI.
“To best serve students, we must ensure teachers have a strong voice in the development and use of AI,” said Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft. “This partnership will not only help teachers learn how to better use AI, it will give them the opportunity to tell tech companies how we can create AI that better serves kids.”
The announcement was made at the headquarters of the AFT’s largest affiliate, the 200,000-member New York City-based UFT, where hundreds of educators were on hand for a three-day training session, including six hours of AI-focused material that highlighted practical, hands-on ways to marry the emerging technology with established pedagogy.
“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,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. “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 academy is a place where educators and school staff will learn about AI—not just how it works, but how to use it wisely, safely and ethically. This idea started with the partnership between lead partner Microsoft and the AFL-CIO in late 2023. We jointly hosted symposiums over the past two summers, but never reached critical mass to ensure America’s educators are coaches in the game, not spectators on the sidelines. Today’s announcement would not be possible without the cooperation of Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic and the leadership at the United Federation of Teachers, and I thank them for their efforts.”
“When it comes to AI in schools, the question is whether it is being used to disrupt education for the benefit of students and teachers or at their expense. We want this technology to be used by teachers for their benefit, by helping them to learn, to think and to create,” said Chris Lehane, chief global affairs officer of OpenAI. “This AI academy will help ensure that AI is being deployed to help educators do what they do best—teach—and in so doing, help advance the small-‘d’ democratizing power of education.”
“We’re at a pivotal moment in education, and how we introduce AI to educators today will shape teaching for generations to come,” said Anthropic Co-founder and Head of Policy Jack Clark. “That’s why we’re thrilled to partner with the AFT to empower teachers with the knowledge and tools to guide their students through this evolving landscape. Together, we’re building a future where AI supports great teaching in ethical and effective ways.”
Anchored by the New York City facility, the National Academy for AI Instruction will serve as a premier hub for AI education, equipped with cutting-edge technology and operated under the leadership of the AFT and a coalition of public and private stakeholders. The academy will begin instruction later this fall and then scale nationally. Over five years, the program aims to support 400,000 educators—approximately 10% of the U.S. teaching workforce—reaching more than 7.2 million students.
Through the training of thousands of teachers annually and by offering credential pathways and continuing education credits, the academy will facilitate broad AI instruction and expand opportunity for all.
“For so long, there have been many new programs that were weaponized against educators,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “Our goal is to develop a tool that gives educators the ability to train their AI and incorporate it into their instructional planning, giving them more one-on-one time with their students.”
“Sometimes as a teacher you suffer burnout and you can’t always communicate to the class in the right voice or find the right message and I feel like these AI tools we are working with can really help with that—especially phrasing things in a way that helps students learn better,” says Marlee Katz, teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing in multiple New York City public schools in the borough of Queens. “The tools don’t take away your voice, but if I need to sound more professional or friendly or informed, I feel like these tools are like a best friend that can help you communicate. I love it.”
“As an instructional technology specialist for over 27 years, watching educators learn and work with AI reminds me of when teachers were first using word processors. We are watching educators transform the way people use technology for work in real time, but with AI it’s on another unbelievable level because it’s just so much more powerful,” says Vincent Plato, New York City Public Schools K-8 educator and UFT Teacher Center director. “I think the UFT and the AFT were right to say AI is something educators should take ownership of, not only because it can assist with enhancing the way they interact with and meet the needs of students, but also because AI assists with educator workflow. It can be a thought partner when they’re working by themselves, whether that’s late-night lesson planning, looking at student data, or filing any types of reports—a tool that’s going to be transformative for teachers and students alike.”
Together, Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic and the AFT are proud to help our nation’s teachers become AI-proficient educators and to leverage this unique partnership to democratize access to AI skills, ensuring that students from all backgrounds are prepared to thrive in an AI-driven future.
Designed by leading AI experts and experienced educators, the program will include workshops, online courses, and hands-on training sessions, ensuring that teachers are well-equipped to navigate an AI-driven future. It will bring together interdisciplinary research teams to drive innovation in AI education and establish a national model for AI-integrated teaching environments. Finally, the academy will provide ongoing support and resources to help educators stay updated with the latest advancements in AI. Innovation labs and feedback cycles will ensure these tools are refined based on actual classroom experiences.
Through scalable training modules, virtual learning environments and credential pathways, the program empowers a diverse range of educators to become confident leaders in AI instruction. In turn, these teachers will bring AI literacy, ethical reasoning and creative problem-solving into classrooms that might otherwise be left behind in the digital transformation.
The idea for the academy was first proposed by venture capitalist, educator, activist and AFT member Roy Bahat. He is currently the head of Bloomberg Beta, the venture capital arm of Bloomberg, and will be joining the academy’s board of directors.
For more information about the National Academy for AI Instruction, please visit AIinstruction.org.
About the AFT
The AFT represents 1.8 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.
About Microsoft
Microsoft creates platforms and tools powered by AI to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI available broadly and doing so responsibly, with a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
About OpenAI
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company with a mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.
About Anthropic
Anthropic is an AI safety and research company that creates reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. Anthropic’s flagship product is Claude, a large language model trusted by millions of users worldwide. Learn more about Anthropic and Claude at anthropic.com.
About UFT
The UFT represents nearly 200,000 members and is the sole bargaining agent for most of the nonsupervisory educators who work in the New York City public schools. This includes teachers; retired members; classroom paraprofessionals; and many other school-based titles including school secretaries, school counselors, occupational and physical therapists, family child care providers, nurses, and other employees at several private educational institutions and some charter schools.
Source: Microsoft
Tools & Platforms
Scotta taps Nextail AI powered technology to support retailer’s growth across stores and online — Retail Technology Innovation Hub
“We’re committed to growing without compromising our values or customer experience. Partnering with Nextail allows us to proactively address operational bottlenecks and bring more precision and agility to our stock decisions. As we grow, it will be even more important to continue delivering on our brand promise of offering high-quality products at a fair price with an authentic story,” says Carlos Serra, Scotta CEO.
By leveraging Nextail, Scotta aims to boost sell-through and margins, reduce markdowns and stockouts, and improve strategic collaboration across teams through data driven insights and automation.
“Growing brands like Scotta prove that forward thinkers don’t need to wait to operate like larger industry leaders,” says Carlos Miragall, CEO and Co-Founder at Nextail. “By choosing to tackle key inventory challenges early on, they’re setting the foundation for sustainable and efficient growth, and we’re proud to be part of that story.”
RTIH AI in Retail Awards
RTIH, organiser of the industry leading RTIH Innovation Awards, proudly brings you the first edition of the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, which is now open for entries.
As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers’ businesses.
With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.
Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work – resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.
Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Wednesday, 3rd September.
Tools & Platforms
Virginia 911 call center implements AI technology to allow dispatchers to focus on emergency calls – KTVB
Tools & Platforms
In test-obsessed Korea, AI boom arrives in exams, ahead of the technology itself
July 11, 2025
SEOUL – A wave of artificial intelligence certifications has flooded the market in South Korea over the past two years.
But according to government data, most of these tests exist only on paper, and have never been used by a single person.
As of Wednesday, there were 505 privately issued AI-related certifications registered with the Korea Research Institute for Professional Education and Training, a state-funded body under the Prime Minister’s Office.
This is nearly five times the number recorded in 2022, before tools like ChatGPT captured global attention. But more than 90 percent of those certifications had zero test-takers as of late last year, the institute’s own data shows.
Many of the credentials are loosely tied to artificial intelligence in name only. Among recent additions are titles like “AI Brain Fitness Coach,” “AI Art Storybook Author,” and “AI Trainer,” which often have no connection to real AI technology.
KT’s AICE is South Korea’s only nationally accredited AI certification, offering five levels of exams that assess real-world AI understanding and skills, from block coding for elementary students to Python-based modeling for professionals. PHOTO: KT/THE KOREA HERALD
Only one of the 505 AI-related certifications — KT’s AICE exam — has received official recognition from the South Korean government. The rest have been registered by individuals, companies, or private organizations, with no independent oversight or quality control.
In 2024, just 36 of these certifications held any kind of exam. Only two had more than 1,000 people apply. Fourteen had a perfect 100 percent pass rate. And 20 were removed from the registry that same year.
For test organizers, the appeal is often financial. One popular certification that attracted around 500 candidates last year charged up to 150,000 won ($110) per person, including test fees and course materials. The content reportedly consisted of basic instructions on how to use existing tools like ChatGPT or Stable Diffusion. Some issuers even promote these credentials as qualifications to teach AI to students or the general public.
The people signing up tend to be those anxious about keeping up in an AI-driven world. A survey released this week by education firm Eduwill found that among 391 South Koreans in their 20s to 50s, 39.1 percent said they planned to earn an AI certificate to prepare for the digital future. Others (27.6 percent) said they were taking online AI courses or learning how to use automation tools like Notion AI.
Industry insiders warn that most of these certificates hold little value in the job market. A local AI industry official told The Korea Herald that these credentials are often “window dressing” for resumes.
“Most private AI certifications aren’t taken seriously by hiring managers,” he said. “Even for non-technical jobs like communications or marketing, what matters more is whether someone actually understands the AI space. That can’t be faked with a certificate.”
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