New York State United Teachers called Monday for enforceable statewide restrictions on artificial intelligence in schools after the Salamanca school district paused plans to place a lifelike robot marketed as a teacher's assistant in a high school classroom.
The union said the state should adopt heightened protections for AI systems designed to resemble people or mimic human relationships. Its request came in an open letter to state Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa, Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young Jr. and the Regents, with copies sent to Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers.
NYSUT thanked the state Education Department for acting after the Salamanca district paused its plan Friday. The union said the pause was voluntary and warned that New York has no law or statewide policy governing similar classroom deployments.
The manufacturer has described Salamanca as its flagship deployment and has said more classroom robots are planned, according to the union.
NYSUT President Melinda Person said questions about the technology should be answered publicly and in writing before another lifelike robot is introduced in a New York classroom. She said students should not serve as test cases for machines built to befriend children.
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