Summary: A recent seminar in San Antonio, funded largely by Big Tech companies and organized by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), provided educators with a crash course on using AI to generate lesson plans. While many teachers see potential benefits, including time savings and personalized content, parental support for AI-generated lesson plans is declining. The program, backed by millions in funding from OpenAI, Microsoft, and Anthropic, aims to train hundreds of thousands of teachers over five years. However, concerns remain about the academic quality of AI-generated materials and the overall impact on student learning.
AI Training for Teachers: The San Antonio Seminar
In San Antonio, about 50 educators attended a three-hour crash course on artificial intelligence, organized by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and funded largely by Big Tech companies. The seminar aimed to help teachers integrate AI tools into their lesson planning. As trainer Kathleen Torregrossa noted, while some teachers are hesitant to adopt AI, preparing students for the future is a primary responsibility, and AI is increasingly part of that world.
Parental Concerns and Declining Support
Despite growing use of AI among teachers—60% of K-12 educators have used AI in their work according to a September Gallup poll—parental support for AI-generated lesson plans is waning. A summer poll showed support dropping from 62% in 2024 to 49% this year. Additionally, recent studies have found that some AI-generated lesson plans fall short academically based on established benchmarks.
Funding and Goals Behind the Program
The San Antonio seminar is part of a broader initiative launched in July by the AFT in partnership with several tech companies. Funding includes $8 million in cash and $2 million in resources from OpenAI, $12.5 million over five years from Microsoft, and $500,000 from Anthropic. This investment supports a dedicated campus in New York City for AI training, both online and in person, with the ambitious goal of educating 400,000 teachers over five years—nearly a quarter of the AFT’s membership.
Teachers’ Experiences with AI Tools
At the seminar, popular AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft CoPilot, Khan Academy’s Khanmingo, and Colorín Colorado were used to generate lesson plans. One first-grade teacher described the experience as “amazing,” highlighting how AI can save time by creating illustrated flashcards. Another teacher plans to use AI to craft personalized storybooks featuring students’ names and to generate simplified versions of challenging texts tailored to different reading levels.
AFT’s Response and Emphasis on Caution
Gizmodo reached out to the AFT regarding parental concerns and the quality of AI-generated lesson plans. Spokesman James Hill referred to several AFT publications emphasizing caution and the importance of privacy and security. AFT president Randi Weingarten stated, “The direct connection between a teacher and their kids can never be replaced by new technologies, but if we learn how to harness it, set commonsense guardrails and put teachers in the driver’s seat, teaching and learning can be enhanced.”
The Uncertain Impact of AI on Learning
Despite these assurances, the true impact of AI on education remains uncertain. Even with proper safeguards and teacher control, AI-generated materials may not necessarily enhance learning and could potentially hinder it. Gizmodo has asked the AFT for further comments on this possibility and will provide updates as they become available.