New York School District Cancels Contract To Use Humanoid Robot As A High School Teaching Assistant For AI & Robotics Classes

A school district in New York State recently canceled a contract with Realbotix that would have piloted the use of a humanoid robot as a teaching assistant for high school artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics classes. The contract was canceled due to community concerns about data privacy, as well as concerns raised by teachers. Some in the community were also concerned about Realbotix’s association with consumer goods that are considered inappropriate for educational settings.

The Salamanca City Central School District had contracted with Realbotix to use its “Sally” humanoid robot. According to the contract, the district allocated $57,590 . . .