New York school district halts plan to use humanoid robot amid backlash
Summary
A New York school district paused its plan to introduce a humanoid robot in a high school after facing criticism from teachers and the community. The district is now working on stronger student privacy rules and talking with local people before moving forward.Key Facts
- The Salamanca City Central school district planned to use a robot named Sally at its high school.
- Sally is a $58,000 humanoid robot made by Realbotix, meant to interact with students using natural conversations and facial expressions.
- Realbotix previously bought a company that makes sex dolls, which caused concern among teachers.
- The New York State United Teachers union opposed the plan, saying students need real human teachers, not robots.
- Teachers worried about data privacy and how the robot’s software would handle student information.
- Some community members criticized the choice to test the robot in a school with a large Native American population due to historical trauma.
- The school district said it will pause the project while updating privacy agreements and involving the community more.
- Realbotix’s CEO said they want the robot program to be safe, approved by the district, and helpful to teachers and students.
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