The advocacy group Fairplay on Wednesday applauded education union leaders for spearheading efforts to ensure students and teachers in the US are protected by safety and privacy standards as artificial intelligence companies push for their products to be used in schools. But the organization's executive director, Josh Golin, emphasized…
Page A2From§Eachthe milkman edition — 10 September 2026
Congress skipped AI regulation; teachers and Microsoft drew the line themselves.
Congress has been debating AI regulation for months, but nothing concrete has landed. Meanwhile, teachers and Microsoft forged a deal to protect students from AI’s more dubious features. The union wanted safeguards, the tech company wanted trust, and the lawmakers watched from the sidelines. Now, the classroom rules come from two parties who were never elected, but who teach and code every day. The kids’ privacy, safety, and future are shaped by handshakes, not hearings. The legislature will catch up someday—maybe after the final exam.
“When Congress sits on its hands, the tech giants and teachers have to build the guardrails themselves. The lawmakers keep telling you they're in charge, but the ground rules get written in the boardroom and the classroom.”
“It’s not that Congress is ignoring AI. There are ongoing discussions, many stakeholders, and it’s important to be thorough. If Microsoft and teachers move first, that just shows initiative, not a failure of government. Did I say 'failure'? I meant 'delegation'.”
The receipts
Even without government regulation, private companies can act on their own to address A.I. safety concerns.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.