Is Anthology Ally (AI Alt Text Assistant) safe for UK schools?

AI Prefect rates Anthology Ally (AI Alt Text Assistant) Amber for staff use (Doesn’t say if it is a processor or controller; Data may be stored outside the UK/EU; safeguards not stated; No school DPA found; 4 of 6 key fields not stated) and Red for pupil use (Supplier says it is not for pupils). This is based on the supplier's published documents, last checked 2026-10-23. It is not legal advice; complete your own DPIA.

Does Anthology Ally (AI Alt Text Assistant) train on our data?

According to the supplier's published documents: no - images not used to train Bedrock models.

Where is Anthology Ally (AI Alt Text Assistant) data stored?

AWS Bedrock regions; may fall back to US East.

What age is Anthology Ally (AI Alt Text Assistant) for?

Not stated. The supplier does not publish a minimum age we could find.

Is there a safer alternative to Anthology Ally (AI Alt Text Assistant)?

Better-rated tools with the same main use and sector: Microsoft Immersive Reader (amber), NaturalReader (amber), Read&Write (Texthelp / Everway) (amber).

Anthology Ally (AI Alt Text Assistant)

Anthology · accessibility AI · Last checked 2026-10-23

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Rating: a rules-based summary of the supplier’s published terms. Not legal advice and not a substitute for a DPIA. How it’s worked out

Staff: AMBER Use with caution

Why amber:

Doesn’t say if it is a processor or controller
Data may be stored outside the UK/EU; safeguards not stated
No school DPA found
4 of 6 key fields not stated

Pupils: RED Not recommended for school data

Why red:

Supplier says it is not for pupils

How is this rated?

Key facts

Trains on what you type: No
Where data is stored: US
Minimum age: Not stated
Use case: Text-to-speech and reading support
Sector: Schools, Further education (FE), Higher education (HE)
Research status: Sourced

Safer alternatives

Same main use (Text-to-speech and reading support) and sector, rated better for the same audience. Alternatives are suggested from our published ratings; check they meet your needs. How alternatives are chosen

For staff use

No better-rated alternative found yet: here’s what to look for.

It acts as a processor for your school (not a controller)
It doesn’t train its AI on what you type
Data stays in the UK/EU, or transfer safeguards (standard contractual clauses, the UK IDTA or adequacy) are stated
There is a data processing agreement (DPA) for schools
The minimum age fits your pupils, or pupils use it through a school account

We’ve logged this gap and will research tools for it in our weekly update.

For pupil use

Microsoft Immersive Reader · Amber
5 caution points: Doesn’t say if it is a processor or controller
NaturalReader · Amber
5 caution points: Doesn’t say if it is a processor or controller
Read&Write (Texthelp / Everway) · Amber
5 caution points: Doesn’t say if it is a processor or controller

New here? Each field has a short explanation underneath. Our getting started guide explains what to look for and what to do next.

About the tool

SupplierThe company that makes and runs the tool.: Anthology
WebsiteWhere we found the main information about the tool.: https://www.anthology.com/products/teaching-and-learning/learning-effectiveness/anthology-ally
CategoryWhat sort of tool it is, for example a chatbot or a lesson-planning helper.: accessibility AI
Pupil-facingWhether pupils use it directly, or only staff. Pupil use needs extra care.: no - instructor-facing

Your data

Processor or controllerA processor only uses data on your school’s instructions. A controller makes its own decisions about the data, which means your school has less say.: not stated
Where data is storedWhich country the data is stored in. UK or EU storage is usually simpler for schools.: AWS Bedrock regions; may fall back to US East
Trains AI models on inputsWhether what you type (or upload) may be used to improve the supplier’s AI. “No” is what you want for anything about pupils or staff.: no - images not used to train Bedrock models
How long inputs are keptHow long the supplier keeps what you type before deleting it.: not stated

Agreements and contacts

Privacy noticeThe supplier’s privacy notice: their own explanation of what they do with personal data.: https://www.anthology.com/trust-center/privacy-statement
Data processing agreement (DPA)The data processing agreement: the contract that sets out how the supplier must look after your school’s data.: not stated
Signs individual DPAs with schoolsWhether the supplier will sign a data agreement with your school specifically, rather than just standard online terms.: not stated
UK GDPR representative / DPOWhether the supplier names a data protection officer or UK representative you can contact about data questions.: not stated

Age and safety

Minimum ageThe youngest age the supplier allows to use the tool. Check this before any pupil uses it.: not stated
Key safety noteAnything else worth knowing, such as admin controls or content filtering.: opt-in, off by default; Claude via AWS Bedrock
Research statusHow complete our research on this tool is.: sourced

Sources

help.anthology.comhttps://help.anthology.com/ally-lms/en/administrators/ai-alt-text-assistant.html
anthology.comhttps://www.anthology.com/trust-center/privacy-statement

Change history

No changes recorded since this entry was first published.

See all recent changes

Quick answers

Is Anthology Ally (AI Alt Text Assistant) safe for UK schools?: AI Prefect rates Anthology Ally (AI Alt Text Assistant) Amber for staff use (Doesn’t say if it is a processor or controller; Data may be stored outside the UK/EU; safeguards not stated; No school DPA found; 4 of 6 key fields not stated) and Red for pupil use (Supplier says it is not for pupils). This is based on the supplier's published documents, last checked 2026-10-23. It is not legal advice; complete your own DPIA.
Does Anthology Ally (AI Alt Text Assistant) train on our data?: According to the supplier's published documents: no - images not used to train Bedrock models.
Where is Anthology Ally (AI Alt Text Assistant) data stored?: AWS Bedrock regions; may fall back to US East.
What age is Anthology Ally (AI Alt Text Assistant) for?: Not stated. The supplier does not publish a minimum age we could find.
Is there a safer alternative to Anthology Ally (AI Alt Text Assistant)?: Better-rated tools with the same main use and sector: Microsoft Immersive Reader (amber), NaturalReader (amber), Read&Write (Texthelp / Everway) (amber).

Generated only from the facts above. “Not stated” means the supplier doesn’t publish it.

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