Big Tech is Paying Millions to Train Teachers on AI, in a Push to Bring Chatbots into Classrooms

Tech giants are funding AI training for hundreds of thousands of teachers through partnerships with unions, raising questions about corporate influence in schools.

Big Tech is Paying Millions to Train Teachers on AI, in a Push to Bring Chatbots into Classrooms
Photo of Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith on Oct. 9, 2025, by Cedar Attanasio/AP

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 20, 2025 (AP) On a scorching hot Saturday in San Antonio, dozens of teachers traded a day off for a glimpse of the future. The topic of the day’s workshop: enhancing instruction with artificial intelligence.

After marveling as AI graded classwork instantly and turned lesson plans into podcasts or online storybooks, one high school English teacher raised a concern that was on the minds of many: “Are we going to be replaced with AI?”

That remains to be seen. But for the nation’s 4 million teachers to stay relevant and help students use the technology wisely, teachers unions have forged an unlikely partnership with the world’s largest technology companies. The two groups don’t always see eye to eye but say they share a common goal: training the future workforce of America.

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