New York school district to deploy humanoid robot in classrooms this fall
- This fall, the Salamanca City Central School District in Western New York will introduce Sally, an AI-powered humanoid robot, to high school classrooms to assist educators and students in specialized robotics courses.
- Serving roughly 1,300 students, 79 percent economically disadvantaged, the district participates in the Woz ED STEM Pathway program and purchased the robot from Realbotix for $57,590.
- Realbotix CEO Andrew Kiguel said the robot features a “lifelike appearance” and uses “education-specific safety guardrails” to provide personalized support, with students accessing 24/7 homework help via unique identification codes.
- In an official statement posted earlier this month, the school district confirmed the robot will “never replace teachers, staff members, or meaningful human interaction” and will not store personal student data or record video.
- While some praise the initiative as innovative, critics warn that classroom AI could exacerbate inequality in underserved populations, marking a significant test for embodied artificial intelligence in live educational environments.
