Story 09 · Associated Press
School pauses humanoid AI pilot until privacy questions are answered
Public scrutiny has pushed a New York district to strengthen safeguards before putting a $60,000 robot near pupils.
A rural New York school district planned to place a humanlike, AI-powered robot in a high-school technology programme. Officials saw a hands-on way to teach robotics and help with programming, but parents, teachers and state officials raised concerns about pupils’ data, its educational role and the manufacturer’s corporate links.
Salamanca City Central School District has paused the $60,000 deployment. It is working with state education officials on stronger student-data privacy agreements and continuing community outreach before deciding whether the robot should enter classrooms.
The constructive part is the process: a novel tool is being stopped while safeguards and purpose are tested, instead of treated as inevitable. The superintendent says the machine would support technical learning, not replace teachers, and acknowledges that teaching depends on human relationships.
A pause does not resolve the concerns. The district has not published final protections or an independent evaluation, and descriptions of the robot as both a tutoring platform and not an instructor remain inconsistent. The useful measure will be whether evidence, consent and clear limits precede any trial — or the purchase is abandoned.
Original reporting: Associated Press ↗
Your verdict
Glass half full or empty?
Choose how this story leaves you feeling. Tap again to remove your vote.
Something missing?