‘Really inappropriate’: teachers decry plan for humanoid robot in New York high school
Summary
Salamanca High School in New York is starting a trial using a humanoid robot named Sally and an AI teaching assistant to help students learn. Many teachers and some local residents have criticized the program, worrying it could harm teaching and may not respect cultural values.Key Facts
- The humanoid robot Sally was bought for $57,590 by the Cattaraugus County school district.
- Sally is designed to interact naturally with students using conversation and facial expressions.
- Salamanca High School will be the first in the U.S. to use a humanoid robot and AI assistant for teaching.
- Teachers’ groups are concerned about the robot’s software security and how student data will be handled.
- Local Native American residents believe the program ignores cultural sensitivities.
- Realbotix, the company providing the robot, also owns a firm known for realistic sex dolls, but denies any link to the robot program.
- New York State teachers’ unions want to pause the program and discuss protections for AI in schools.
- Teachers emphasize the importance of human connection in education and question the use of robots with students.
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