AI Enters the Classroom: New York School Introduces Humanoid Robot ‘Sally’ as Teaching Assistant
A New York school district is getting ready to bring a new kind of classroom assistant to school in September: a humanoid robot that will help teachers and students, but not replace them.
The Salamanca City Central School District will pilot a new artificial intelligence-powered robot named “Sally” in high school classrooms to investigate the potential of new technology to improve learning.
Sally was developed in collaboration with a Las Vegas-based company called Realbotix Corporation, which has brown hair, latex skin, and movable arms and hands. The robot won’t be able to move around the classroom but will be used as an educational support tool, school officials say.
The project has generated enthusiasm and raised questions about the future of AI in education, while the school district has stated that the human element and teacher expertise will continue to be essential to education.
With classrooms still in the process of change, Sally’s arrival is another sign of the ongoing discussion on the future of education in the age of technology.
