A New York school district has hit the brakes on a controversial pilot program that would have brought a lifelike humanoid robot named Sally into the classroom as a teaching assistant. The robot, built by a company called Realbotix, has silicone skin, realistic facial expressions, and a price tag of $57,590. Students were going to be assigned codes so Sally could access their learning history and tailor lessons to each child.
But the program didn’t last long before raising serious concerns. New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa expressed worry about the use of a humanoid robot in schools, and parents voiced strong opinions about student data privacy. The Salamanca City Central School District has now paused the program while they work on formal data privacy agreements. Realbotix CEO Andrew Kiguel called the deployment“a landmark moment,”but for now, the robot is waiting on the sidelines.
This story touches on some big questions for all of us. How comfortable are we with artificial intelligence interacting with our kids? And where’s the line between helpful technology and something that just feels too far? We’d love to hear your take. Would you feel good about a robot teacher in your child’s school? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
