AI Robot Teacher Initiative Now Halted in New York Schools

Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are the coming thing, and there can't be much doubt about it. AI is already being put to work in industrial and entertainment applications, and robots have been in use in manufacturing and other areas for some time; bear in mind that "robot" doesn't necessarily mean "humaniform robot," or, technically, an android. That's not typically the most efficient use of robotics, where each unit is generally designed for a specific purpose.

A school district in New York, though, has been exploring the idea of using androids to supplement human teachers in the school systems - but there are complications, and now the whole thing is on hold. That's probably for the best.

A school district in a rural corner of upstate New York is hitting pause on plans to deploy an AI-powered, humanoid robot in the classroom after state education officials, teachers and local residents raised concerns, including the maker’s ties to a company that produces hyper realistic sex bots.
The Salamanca City Central School District’s board approved the nearly $60,000 purchase from Realbotix with visions that “Sally,” as the stationary robot with long dark hair has already been nicknamed, would enhance the education of high school students studying robotics and technology fields.

Well, the pleasure bot angle, that's not something that we may have considered. Honestly, though, that's not really so much of an issue as long as the two parts of that business, and the bots they produce, are kept well separated. But while using an AI-powered android may indeed help high school kids to understand the state of the art in AI and robotics, it turns out there are some other issues. Namely, protecting the students' personal data.

But as news spread in the small community located on the Seneca Nation of Indians reservation, parents and teachers worried about how students’ personal information would be used. Unionized teachers took aim at Realbotix’s sex doll sister company, even as district officials and the company itself stressed the two manufacturers operate independently.
“A robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms,” said Melinda Person, president of the labor union New York State United Teachers.
For now, the robot pilot remains on hold as the district works through “enhanced student data privacy agreements” with the state education officials and continues outreach to the community, according to a statement the district posted Friday on its Facebook page.

The union angle isn't surprising; the teachers' union is certain to look at any attempts to integrate AI into education as being liable to draw concerns about that AI eventually replacing human teachers. That seems a long way off; AI just isn't quite at that level yet.

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Here's the real concern there, though: To what level is this AI to be integrated into the education system? On the one hand, it could be a tool for demonstration and experimentation, with a human educator guiding that process. But it doesn't seem like the technology is quite there to have the thing do any actual instruction. And add to that one more concern: How much will this thing cost?

Leveraging AI as a teaching tool is probably inevitable, to some degree, but some caution is in order. Our school systems, nationwide, aren't doing the best job at what they are intended to do: Produce young adults with marketable skills. Pushing off some of that irreplaceable teacher-student contact with an android doesn't seem like it would help with this problem at all.

Editor's Note: President Trump is fighting to ensure America's kids get the education they deserve.

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