Bans on robot teachers introduced

The Salamanca Central City School District's proposal to use an artificial intelligence-enabled humanoid robot in its STEAM classes is the last one three Democratic Party state senators want to see for a while.

Sen. Shelley Mayer, D-White Plains and chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, is sponsoring legislation (S.10671) that would require school districts, charter schools and BOCES districts to create policies prohibiting the use of artificial intelligence-enabled humanoid robots in instructional capacities and to govern their other uses. The bill was introduced last week and is co-sponsored by Sens. Kristin Gonzalez and Rachel May.

Mayer said artificial intelligence-enabled humanoid robots can be confusing for young children and students who may struggle to distinguish between authentic human relationships and artificial ones.

"Schools play a critical role in fostering healthy social and emotional development. Students should build relationships with qualified educators and school staff, not with artificial intelligence designed to mimic empathy, conversation, and companionship," Mayer wrote in her legislative justification. "This legislation establishes clear guardrails by prohibiting AI-enabled humanoid robots from serving in instructional roles while preserving the use of other educational technologies that support, rather than replace, human educators."

A proposal was also introduced in the state Assembly by Assemblywoman Yudelka Tapia, D-Bronx. Her proposal is different from Mayer's. Tapia proposes a new section of the state Education Law that would govern the use of artificial intelligence and humanoid robots in instructional settings. It includes a prohibition on humanoid robots being used as teachers, including delivering instruction, facilitating classroom activities, supervising students, assessing student performance, providing behavioral or disciplinary supervision, offering counseling or social-emotional support, or otherwise interacting with students in an instructional capacity.

Humanoid robots could be used in schools solely for robotics, engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, or similar technical education courses, scientific demonstrations, exhibitions, research activities, or maintenance, testing, repair, and transportation unrelated to classroom instruction. Tapia said the exceptions would not authorize humanoid robots to perform instructional, supervisory, evaluative, counseling, or classroom management functions.

Tapia also proposes language requiring all instructional settings remain under the direction and control of a certified educator or other appropriately authorized school employee while prohibiting artificial intelligence systems, chatbots, avatars,virtual assistants or similar technologies from serving as the primary instructor in any instructional setting, while permitting such technologies to be used only as supplemental instructional resources under the direct supervision of a certified educator.

Educational artificial intelligence systems would also be prohibited from collecting, retaining, selling, licensing, disclosing, transferring, or otherwise using biometric identifiers, facial recognition data, voiceprints, iris scans, retinal scans, fingerprints, gait recognition data, emotional recognition data, or personally identifiable student information for artificial intelligence model training or commercial purposes. Student interactions with artificial intelligence systems would be required to be deleted following instructional sessions and their use prohibited for advertising, profiling, commercialization or artificial intelligence model development. Schools would not be allowed to require students to consent to the collection of prohibited information as a condition of participating in educational programs or activities.

"Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming education, creating new opportunities to enhance student learning while also presenting significant questions regarding instruction, privacy, and the role of educators," Tapia wrote in her legislative justification. "As schools increasingly consider integrating artificial intelligence into classrooms, New York must establish clear statewide guardrails to ensure that technology supports education without replacing the essential role of teachers."

Salamanca announced a pilot project with Realbotix in early July to support teaching and learning in its high school STEAM program. By late July the plan was on hold after concerns were raised by parents. Salamanca school officials had billed the Realbotix robot and digital avatar as a way to encourage critical thinking and foster learning for students, saying the technology has been loaded exclusively with district-approved curriculum, instructional strategies and historical information about Salamanca. When students ask questions, the robot guides them through the learning process rather than completing the work for them.

The New York State United Teachers sent a letter to the state Education Department asking for the state to establish enforceable statewide guardrails for artificial intelligence in schools with heightened protections for AI that is humanoid or built to mimic human relationships. The letter was sent to Betty Rosa, state education commissioner, Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young Jr. and the members of the Board of Regents as well as Gov. Kathy Hochul and state legislators.

"This legislation does not prohibit artificial intelligence from being used as an educational resource. Rather, it establishes that artificial intelligence should remain a tool that assists teachers-not a substitute for them. Certified educators provide judgment, mentorship, emotional intelligence, classroom management, and personal relationships that no artificial intelligence system or humanoid robot can replicate. Decisions regarding instruction, assessment, discipline, and student well-being should remain firmly in human hands,” Tapia wrote. “As artificial intelligence technologies continue to evolve, New York has an opportunity to establish a balanced framework that encourages innovation while preserving high-quality, human-led education and protecting student privacy. This legislation ensures that technology remains a resource for educators-not a replacement for them."