OpenAI is partnering with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to launch the National Academy for AI Instruction, a five-year initiative aimed at preparing educators to utilise and lead in the application of AI tools in K-12 classrooms.
The initiative is expected to reach approximately 400,000 educators – that is, roughly one in ten US teachers – by 2030.
As the founding partner, OpenAI will contribute $10 million to the project, comprising $8 million in direct funding and $2 million in in-kind resources, including access to computing tools and technical guidance. Other partners include the United Federation of Teachers, Microsoft, and Anthropic.
The academy is expected to function as a hub for professional development, curriculum design and technical training, with an emphasis on accessibility and practical classroom impact.
The flagship campus will be established in New York City, with plans to scale nationally through regional hubs.
Educators participating in the programme will have access to workshops and online training courses, opportunities to build AI tools customised to their classroom needs, support with integrating AI into existing education systems, and priority access to OpenAI technologies intended for education.
The initiative builds on findings from recent research, including a study from multinational analytics company Gallup that found six in ten educators already use AI tools. Many reported time savings of up to six hours per week.
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In a statement, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman emphasised the importance of placing teachers at the centre of integrating AI into schools: “Educators make the difference, and they should lead this next shift with AI,” he said. “We’re here to support them.”
Similarly, AFT president Randi Weingarten highlighted the need for responsible deployment and guardrails: “AI holds tremendous promise but huge challenges,” he stated, “and it’s our job to make sure AI serves our students and society, not the other way around.”
This collaboration continues OpenAI’s ongoing efforts to support educators through programmes like OpenAI Academy, ChatGPT for Education, and the OpenAI forum. The company is also co-sponsoring the AFT AI Symposium on July 24 in Washington, DC.
ChatGPT tests new education-focused ‘Study Together’ feature
In parallel with its institution initiatives, OpenAI is reportedly testing a new game-changing feature within ChatGPT called ‘Study Together’ in the drop-down menu of ChatGPT.
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From what is known, this tool seems like it can transform ChatGPT into an interactive study buddy. Reportedly, instead of simply telling the right answer, it will challenge a user to solve problems on their own and in a way that helps them master new concepts.
Based on the name of the tool, it seems multiple users will be able to join the same session and study together. It could come as a respite to teachers, who have been grappling with coursework and students with their use of AI.
On the surface, it seems like OpenAI’s answer to Google’s LearnLM. OpenAI has not officially announced when or if at all the new Study Together feature will be available to all users, or if it will be exclusive to ChatGPT Plus users.
It needs to be noted that ChatGPT has become a resourceful tool for both teachers and students. For teachers, it helps them create lesson plans, and students use it as a tutor and as an assistant who can write their papers for them.
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A recent MIT study has shown that relying on ChatGPT and other AI is degrading our ability to think critically. At a time when AI is raising serious concerns about its impact on human creativity, ChatGPT’s latest feature could likely promote positive use cases of AI in education.
(This article has been curated by Arfan Jeelany, who is an intern with The Indian Express)