Big tech giants like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic are investing millions to train teachers in artificial intelligence, aiming to integrate AI tools and chatbots into classrooms. In collaboration with US teachers' unions, these initiatives focus on building educators' AI literacy, enabling them to confidently use technology to enhance learning, automate routine tasks, and personalise student support.
As AI begins to grade assignments instantly and transform lesson plans into podcasts or storybooks, it's easing classroom workloads. However, questions remain about the long-term role of teachers alongside machines. While the future is uncertain, efforts to upskill educators are underway through partnerships with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the second-largest teachers' union in the US, accordinng to Associated Press.
Also Read | AI In Classrooms Starts With Teachers. Here's Why Training Them Is Crucial
AFT President Randi Weingarten expressed cautious optimism, acknowledging tech companies' deep pockets but stressing the importance of teacher involvement. This collaboration aims to empower educators to use AI tools wisely and ethically, keeping humans at the centre of education.
According to a July report by CNN, several major tech firms have partnered with two teachers' unions to begin training 400,000 K-12 teachers in artificial intelligence over the next five years, a large-scale initiative already underway.
Also Read | From 10-Minute Homework Rule To AI Teachers: How Learning Is Changing In Schools
The National Academy of AI Instruction, a $23 million initiative backed by Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, the American Federation of Teachers, and the New York-based United Federation of Teachers, will create an AI training curriculum for educators. The program will be available online and at an in-person training campus in New York City.
According to NPR, new research by Anthropic, the creator of the AI chatbot Claude, shows that professors worldwide are increasingly using AI for tasks like curriculum design, lesson planning, research, grant writing, budgeting, grading, and developing interactive learning tools.
"When we looked into the data late last year, we saw that of all the ways people were using Claude, education made up two of the top four use cases," said Drew Bent, education lead at Anthropic and one of the researchers behind the study.
That includes both students and professors. Bent said those findings inspired a report on how university students use AI chatbots and the most recent research on professors' adoption of Claude.
India is also embracing digital transformation rapidly and effectively. Initiatives like DigiLocker for document verification and Pariksha for aviation candidates reflect the country's broader push toward tech-driven systems in learning and professional training. Experts, however, emphasise the need for thoughtful implementation to preserve academic integrity and ensure students are prepared for an AI-powered future.
