OpenAI, Microsoft, and Anthropic have partnered with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to create a center focused on training educators in AI tools.

The initiative, named the National Academy for AI Instruction, was announced on July 8, 2025, and will offer free AI training workshops and seminars to K-12 educators across the United States.

The academy aims to support 400,000 educators over the next five years. It is supported by US$23 million in funding from the partnering companies, with Microsoft providing the largest contribution.

A physical facility for the academy will open in Manhattan, New York, with plans to expand to additional locations.

This initiative aligns with a broader movement in the US to incorporate AI into education.

Tech companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic, have been increasingly active in this area.

Chris Lehane, chief global affairs officer at OpenAI, highlighted the need for AI to enhance education rather than disrupt it. The AFT has described the academy as a resource to assist teachers in adapting to technological advancements.

🔗 Source: Bloomberg

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ The US is playing catch-up in a global AI education race

This partnership reflects the United States’ efforts to accelerate AI adoption in education amid global competition.

Countries like China, South Korea, and Singapore have already implemented comprehensive national strategies for AI in education, with South Korea mandating AI coursework in its national curriculum by 2025 and allocating approximately $0.74 billion specifically for teacher training 1, 2.

Meanwhile, China has rapidly scaled AI-powered personalized learning through companies like Squirrel AI, which operates 2,000 learning centers across 200 cities serving over a million students 3.

The global AI education market is projected to exceed $20 billion by 2027, driven by government initiatives to integrate AI into curricula worldwide 4.

This new academy represents a strategic response to ensure American educators don’t fall behind in an increasingly competitive global education landscape where AI literacy is becoming fundamental to workforce development.

2️⃣ Teacher training emerges as the critical bridge between AI technology and classroom implementation