This summer, the AFT and the UFT announced a $23 million partnership with Microsoft, Open AI and Anthropic to forge a first-of-its-kind teacher institute for artificial intelligence: the National Academy for AI Instruction.

“Technology is routinely weaponized against us,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. “We were not going to sit by and watch that happen again. This initiative allows us to take control of AI in the education sphere and develop it for and by educators.”

The academy, which will be housed at UFT headquarters in Manhattan, will service both UFT members and K–12 educators from AFT affiliate unions across the country. It will provide workshops, online courses and hands-on training sessions. The AFT and the UFT do not endorse specific AI tools or platforms.

Unveiled at UFT Teacher Center courses this summer, AI workshops introduced attendees to tools such as Microsoft’s Copilot, MagicSchool and Khanmigo to help teachers plan, manage their workload and meet student needs more effectively. Teachers received guidance on writing AI prompts and discussed ethics and the responsible use of AI.

Academy Director Vincent Pilato said AI can help UFT members “do our work smarter and faster and have more time to meet the needs of our diverse students.” He said UFT Teacher Center coaches will be immersed in AI this fall and able to turnkey it to educators in over 200 schools.

Samantha Fisher, a product manager at Microsoft’s Education Experiences, explained that crafting effective AI prompts not only helps produce intended results but is transferable no matter which platforms an educator uses. It’s about “learning processes, not programs,” she said.

Kathy Torregrossa, a mentoring coordinator with a special education background at Cranston Public Schools in Rhode Island, described how AI can take a piece of content and quickly reframe it on varying academic levels and for different language proficiencies to “meet kids where they are.” These modifications, she said, increase student engagement since everyone can access the material.

“The academy is saying to teachers: You bring expertise to the classroom. You bring high-value pedagogy to the classroom,” said Rob Weil, the AFT director of research, policy and field programs. “We want you to use that pedagogy and expand that pedagogy, and there are resources you can use to make your expertise better. This is not about replacing your expertise, it’s about expanding your expertise.”

Iolani Grullon, a teacher at PS 4 in Manhattan who attended two sets of AI workshops this summer, said AI is “a game changer” for educators. She was enthusiastic about the promise of AI, noting that Microsoft’s Copilot is already familiar with the reading program her school uses, Expeditionary Learning.

“This is where things are going,” Grullon said. “If we resist, we’re only going to make our lives harder. At least be part of the conversation and learn how to use these tools in ways that can benefit us.”

Grullon predicted AI could, in fact, usher in greater human connection by freeing up educators’ time.

“If this streamlines planning and paperwork, it allows for more time for relationship-building,” she said, “and I can think about what my kids need.”

Teaching demands “the human component,” she said. “You need to see my face. You need to hear me say, ‘Great job!’ or ‘Let’s try this again’ or ‘Are you OK?’”

While space is being built out at UFT headquarters, the academy is gearing up to offer courses this fall via the Teacher Center, both in person and online, with plans to eventually offer microcredentials and a minicertification in AI in the future.