A New York high school has put on hold a pilot program for a humanoid classroom robot due to concerns over student data privacy. The robot, designed by Realbotix, was intended to support AI and robotics lessons.

Program Details

The program, which was set to launch in the fall, included a digital AI educational assistant and a physical humanoid robot. The robot was designed to provide a physical presence in the classroom and give students hands-on exposure to AI and robotics.

The school district has paused the program while it works through enhanced student data privacy agreements with the New York State Education Department. The district is also continuing discussions with community members and other stakeholders before moving forward.

Robot Features

The robot, which has silicone skin and long brown hair, is designed to use natural conversation and facial expressions during real-time interactions. It is also equipped with upper-body movements and can provide prompts based on material already loaded into the system.

The district had planned to introduce the robot to high school students enrolled in AI and robotics courses. The program was intended to complement, not replace, teachers by giving students supervised access to emerging AI and robotics tools.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.