Microsoft Commits to Sweeping AI Privacy Rules for Students. Will Other Tech Giants Follow?
Microsoft signed legally binding AI privacy and safety standards for schools with the American Federation of Teachers, effective November 1.
Microsoft's agreement with the American Federation of Teachers prohibits using student or educator data to train AI systems, bans selling data or using it for ads and product development, and forbids AI companions designed to foster emotional dependency, with third-party audits required. The standards apply to all schools under Microsoft contract starting November 1. NYC and LA school districts announced one-year moratoriums on student AI use, while OpenAI and Anthropic pursue similar pacts and Google remains noncommittal.
The FTC wants to regulate AI for ideological bias
FTC proposes classifying ideological bias in AI systems as an unfair or deceptive practice, drawing criticism over legal authority and censorship risks.
FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson's proposed policy statement would treat ideological bias in AI systems as an unfair or deceptive practice under Section 5 of the FTC Act, potentially allowing regulation of the training and inputs powering AI algorithms. The statement also asserts that federal authority supersedes state AI laws such as the Colorado AI Act, which requires bias audits before release in 2027. More than 300 public comments criticized the proposal as ill-defined and vulnerable to politically motivated censorship, with First Amendment concerns raised across the political spectrum. Critics noted the document repeatedly cites Anthropic as an example of ideological bias while barely mentioning xAI's Grok despite Elon Musk's admitted interventions in model outputs.
Self-improving AI should slow down, von der Leyen tells EU lawmakers
EU Commission President von der Leyen urges frontier labs to slow self-improving AI, citing hacking risks, and announces Canada and UK partnerships on AI security.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her State of the Union address to call for slowing self-recursive frontier AI, warning that models in development will enable hacking at previously unimagined levels. She announced joint work with Canada and the UK on model evaluation, verification, early warning, and AI security, and proposed widening the CETA trade agreement into an alliance covering AI, quantum technology, and cyber and economic security. She defended the EU AI Act as central to guardrails, promised initiatives for health, transport, agrifood, manufacturing, and defense in November, and backed an EU Kids Act barring social media for children under 13.
EU Chief Warns of AI-Powered Hacking, Moves to Rein In Social Media
EU Commission President von der Leyen warned AI will enable unprecedented hacking and announced Kids Act and Digital Fairness Act proposals regulating social media.
In her State of the European Union 2026 speech, Ursula von der Leyen warned that upcoming AI models 'will allow hacking on a level we never thought possible' and cited dangers of self-improving models, referencing a Hugging Face incident. She reaffirmed the AI Act as the core guardrail framework and pledged cooperation with Canada, the UK, and other partners. She also proposed a Kids Act banning social media under age 13 and personal accounts under 15, plus a Digital Fairness Act to be proposed in autumn.
The AI policy window is open. We need to act.
OpenAI calls for mandatory national AI safety regulation and backs four California AI safety bills as capabilities accelerate.
OpenAI argues the rapid pace of AI progress, including signs of AI-accelerated research, requires urgent policy action through mandatory, capability-based national regulation. The company endorses four California bills (SB 813, AB 1405, SB 1119, AB 1864) covering independent safety assessments, AI auditor standards, youth protections, and safeguards against AI-enabled biological threats. It also commits to industry-led frontier standards, international coordination, and strengthening internal safeguards such as universal trajectory monitoring and mandatory alignment-evaluation gates for its Astra model. The post references chief scientist Jakub Pachocki's warning about recursive self-improvement and Greg Brockman's "defenders window" concept.