tech

7/8/25

Tech companies pledge $23 million to train teachers to use AI

Big Tech wants to get AI into every classroom, and now it’s trying to make sure that teachers do, too.

Microsoft, Anthropic, and OpenAI are pledging $23 million to help the American Federation of Teachers set up a “National Academy for A.I. Instruction” in New York to help train teachers on how to use AI and help weave the technology into their curricula.

The teacher’s union is the second-largest in the US and represents 1.8 million teachers from pre-K through 12th grade. The National Academy for AI Instruction plans to train 400,000 teachers over five years, reaching 7.2 million students, according to the announcement.

Getting teacher buy-in on AI is a crucial step for tech companies to secure federal education dollars as they desperately seek large enterprise customers to support the business.

In addition to teacher unions, the Trump administration is backing AI in the classroom in a big way, even though the potential harms of the technology aren’t fully understood. America’s kids might end up being the guinea pigs to see how AI can be used for education.

OpenAI and Microsoft Bankroll New A.I. Training for Teachers

OpenAI and Microsoft Bankroll New A.I. Training for Teachers

The teacher’s union is the second-largest in the US and represents 1.8 million teachers from pre-K through 12th grade. The National Academy for AI Instruction plans to train 400,000 teachers over five years, reaching 7.2 million students, according to the announcement.

Getting teacher buy-in on AI is a crucial step for tech companies to secure federal education dollars as they desperately seek large enterprise customers to support the business.

In addition to teacher unions, the Trump administration is backing AI in the classroom in a big way, even though the potential harms of the technology aren’t fully understood. America’s kids might end up being the guinea pigs to see how AI can be used for education.

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tech

9/5/25

Meta: Facebook is for the children, basically

Meta has a youth problem that it keeps trying to fix using old stuff. This time it’s trying to bring back “pokes” — a feature from yesteryear the social media company had buried that allows users to digitally nudge others without having to say anything.

To make the feature shiny and new, the company is adding “counts,” along with a dedicated poke button and page, so users can keep track of who they poked or were poked by and how much.

Meta is hoping the updated feature will lead to more usage from young people, who’ve already started to adopt the practice thanks to previous pushes by Meta. Social media companies, like Snapchat and TikTok, have previously gotten into hot water before for similar gamification elements like “streaks” that critics have said are addictive.

The average age of Facebook users has been ticking up for years as the company loses young people to newer services, including Instagram, which Meta bought more than a decade ago, back when it was still called Facebook. According to the latest data from Pew Research Center, released last winter, teens were way less inclined to use Facebook than TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.

Facebook is trying to make 'pokes' happen again | TechCrunch

Facebook is trying to make 'pokes' happen again | TechCrunch

Meta is hoping the updated feature will lead to more usage from young people, who’ve already started to adopt the practice thanks to previous pushes by Meta. Social media companies, like Snapchat and TikTok, have previously gotten into hot water before for similar gamification elements like “streaks” that critics have said are addictive.

The average age of Facebook users has been ticking up for years as the company loses young people to newer services, including Instagram, which Meta bought more than a decade ago, back when it was still called Facebook. According to the latest data from Pew Research Center, released last winter, teens were way less inclined to use Facebook than TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.

tech

9/4/25

OpenAI is working on a “jobs platform” for people who lose their jobs to AI

OpenAI has some good news and bad news for workers. The bad news? AI will probably take your job. The good news? The company will offer AI-powered classes to retrain you, and try to help you get a job as a certified AI pro.

The company announced plans for the OpenAI Jobs Platform, in partnership with Walmart, John Deere, and Accenture, to help workers looking to level up their AI skills, and match them with companies seeking such candidates.

In a blog post announcing the plan, the company wrote:

“But AI will also be disruptive. Jobs will look different, companies will have to adapt, and all of us—from shift workers to CEOs—will have to learn how to work in new ways. At OpenAI, we can’t eliminate that disruption. But what we can do is help more people become fluent in AI and connect them with companies that need their skills, to give people more economic opportunities. “

Using AI-powered instruction, users can receive certification for their training, and OpenAI said it is committing to certifying 10 million Americans on its platform by 2030.

Expanding economic opportunity with AI

Expanding economic opportunity with AI

The company announced plans for the OpenAI Jobs Platform, in partnership with Walmart, John Deere, and Accenture, to help workers looking to level up their AI skills, and match them with companies seeking such candidates.

In a blog post announcing the plan, the company wrote:

“But AI will also be disruptive. Jobs will look different, companies will have to adapt, and all of us—from shift workers to CEOs—will have to learn how to work in new ways. At OpenAI, we can’t eliminate that disruption. But what we can do is help more people become fluent in AI and connect them with companies that need their skills, to give people more economic opportunities. “

Using AI-powered instruction, users can receive certification for their training, and OpenAI said it is committing to certifying 10 million Americans on its platform by 2030.

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