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AI robot Sally to join classrooms in New York school pilot
🇸🇮 Slovenia /Technology

AI robot Sally to join classrooms in New York school pilot

From Delo · () Slovenian

Translated from Slovenian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Salamanca City Central School District in New York will pilot a humanoid AI robot named Sally in classrooms this fall.
  • Sally, developed by Canadian company Realbotix, will assist teachers and provide students with additional support, not replace educators.
  • The project, costing over $50,000, aims to integrate AI into education, with safeguards to protect student data and limit inappropriate conversations.

The Salamanca City Central School District in New York is set to introduce a humanoid AI robot named Sally into its classrooms this fall as part of a pilot program. School officials emphasize that Sally is designed to support teachers and offer students supplementary assistance, rather than replace human educators. The robot, developed by Canadian firm Realbotix, will initially work with high school students in subjects like artificial intelligence, programming, and robotics, aligned with the Woz ED STEM Pathway program.

The introduction of the technology is an exciting, but also a bit nerve-wracking experience.

— Mark BeehlerThe school superintendent commented on the challenges and excitement surrounding the integration of AI technology in education.

Sally utilizes natural language processing and facial recognition to interact with students in real-time. According to the company, it can answer questions during lessons, help with homework, and provide support outside of school hours. The system will operate in a closed, local environment without internet connectivity. The school district assures that the robot will not record audio or video and will not share personal data with Realbotix. Students will identify themselves with a unique ID number, allowing Sally to access their learning data for personalized assistance and to recall previous conversations.

Once upon a time, people wondered why teachers even needed email or the internet. This is the next step.

— Mark BeehlerThe superintendent drew a parallel between the introduction of AI robots and earlier technological adoptions in schools.

The project's cost is reported to be over $50,000. If the pilot proves successful, the district plans to expand the robot's use to other high school subjects. School Superintendent Mark Beehler described the technology's introduction as an "exciting, but also a bit nerve-wracking experience," acknowledging that educational changes often face resistance. He compared AI integration to the initial introduction of email and the internet in schools.

in no way replaces teachers

— Salamanca City Central School DistrictThe school district emphasized that the AI robot is intended as a support tool, not a substitute for human educators.

Addressing concerns, the school district reiterated that the robot "in no way replaces teachers." They stated the project's goal is to support both educators and students, emphasizing that "human relationships and quality teaching remain at the core of education." The system is distinct from general chatbots, as it only accesses school-loaded curriculum content and includes safety features to prevent discussions on violence, sexuality, or gambling.

human relationships and quality teaching remain at the core of education

— Salamanca City Central School DistrictThe district stressed that despite the introduction of AI, the focus remains on human interaction and effective teaching.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Delo in Slovenian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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