State senators introduced a bill Thursday that would ban New York school districts from using humanoid robots in classroom instruction. The first-of-its-kind proposal came in response to a New York Focus report about a Western New York school district’s plan to use one as a teaching assistant.
Salamanca City Central School District was set to become one of the first in the nation to bring a humanoid robot into the classroom this fall, as part of a partnership with a tech company called Realbotix. The robot, named Sally, would have lifelike silicone skin, long hair, and a wide range of upper-body movements and facial expressions. The robot and an accompanying digital avatar, both powered by artificial intelligence, would have given students personalized learning support.
New York Focus’s reporting on the plan drew national attention and backlash from local parents over the use of AI and robotics in schools. On July 24, state Education Commissioner Betty Rosa sent the district a letter expressing concern about “the effect that a humanoid robot may have within a high school classroom.” Hours later, Salamanca announced it was putting the project on hold while it worked through student data privacy agreements with the state.
Now, some lawmakers want to prevent Salamanca or any other school district from making similar investments.
The bill would require school districts and charter schools to adopt a written policy prohibiting AI-enabled humanoid robots from performing the responsibilities of a teacher, including delivering classroom or one-on-one instruction, tutoring students, and grading work.
Senate Education Chair Shelley Mayer said she introduced the legislation after reading the New York Focus article, and that she’s shocked by Salamanca’s “glaring mistake of judgment.”
“As someone who cares about kids and education and how we learn — not just academically, but socially — that all requires human interaction,” she said. “This is absolutely replacing a human being with a machine for instruction and other functions of education, and it shouldn’t be marketed to any school in the United States.”
In a statement, Realbotix CEO Andrew Kiguel told New York Focus that the technology is intended to assist educators, not replace them.
“What concerns us about [the bill] is that it appears to have been introduced without anyone involved having seen the technology in action or evaluated a live pilot,” Kiguel said. “The Salamanca project that prompted this bill has not even been deployed. Making a sweeping statewide prohibition on that basis, before any facts or evidence exists, is a premature step.”
Kiguel said he welcomes the chance to demonstrate and discuss the technology with legislators “so policy can be based on knowledge, not assumption.”
Salamanca did not respond to requests for comment before publication.
The robot saga has unfolded amid growing scrutiny of educational technology in New York and across the country. Parents have formed groups to push for stronger oversight of AI, clearer guidelines to limit screen time, and more opportunities to weigh in before districts purchase new tech products. In May, the New York State United Teachers union called for strict limits on AI and screen time in schools. and last month, New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels announced an educational technology purchasing freeze until the school system finalizes guidance on technology procurement.
Mayer said that she is not opposed to AI in classrooms, but that its use should be guided by clear state standards that help districts evaluate when the technology is beneficial and when it poses concerns.
“This is the first step in what’s going to be a much larger conversation about AI in New York schools,” she said.
Senator Kristen Gonzalez, a co-sponsor of the bill, said schools should only adopt new technologies that are supported by evidence — and that there is no research on how AI-powered robots affect the social and emotional development of children.
“Clearly, it will take many bills before our school districts are acting appropriately,” she said.
Earlier this summer, the state Senate and Assembly both unanimously passed Gonzalez’s legislation to restrict AI chatbots from interacting with minors when they contain certain unsafe features. Gonzalez said the measure, which is now awaiting the governor’s approval, would have required Salamanca to ensure its AI-powered avatar program was safe for children and did not have any features that encourage the development of emotional attachments with minors. (Salamanca and Realbotix have emphasized that the avatar is only programmed to talk about education and would alert administrators to flagged topics like suicide and self-harm.)
“This would not only have helped prevent the situation, but in the future, it would also help slow down the adoption of unregulated chatbots in the classroom,” Gonzalez said.
The legislature will consider the new bill when it reconvenes in January. Both bills are supported by the state teachers union, which is also calling for the legislature to establish clear, enforceable statewide guardrails for AI in schools. That’s a priority for Mayer, who is leading a legislative effort to curb rapid adoption of new education technologies.
“This is as personal as it gets” for parents and teachers, Mayer said. “People like myself, who’ve fought tooth and nail to get funding for all these schools, want to know where this money is going. and if it is going to for-profit tech companies, there needs to be far greater scrutiny.”