Salamanca High School in Salamanca, New York, is slated to debut a humanoid robot and an AI teaching assistant as part of a pilot program, according to US news | The Guardian. The initiative, which will involve a bot from a company that recently acquired a sex‑doll manufacturer, has drawn sharp criticism from teachers and local Native American residents.
Teachers have described the move as “inappropriate” and fear that the robot “dehumanises” the teaching profession. Local Native American community members, who live on the Allegany territory of the Seneca nation surrounding the school, have called the pilot culturally tone‑deaf. The program’s introduction is scheduled for the upcoming academic term, though specific deployment dates are not yet released.
The controversy highlights growing concerns about the integration of advanced robotics and AI in K‑12 education, especially in schools with significant Indigenous populations where cultural sensitivity is paramount.