Robotics company Realbotix has long struggled to beat the allegations that its voluptuous humanoid robots are designed with prurient interests in mind.
Its $175,000 robotic companion, dubbed Aria, is platinum blonde, well-endowed, and tends to be decked out in tight-fitted sportswear at tech conventions. Yet the company insisted she’s not a sex doll, leading to plenty of incredulity online.
It’s also hard to ignore that Realbotix has an extensive X-rated past. bIts subsidiary RealDoll showed off the first-ever male sex bot back in 2022, which features robotic genitals. (Before robots, Realbotix rented out dubious “digital land” in the metaverse.)
Now, as New York Focus reports, the Salamanca City Central School District in western New York is ready to dig deep into its budget and deploy one of the company’s humanoids, dubbed Sally, in the classroom. The AI-enabled robot will reportedly serve as a teaching assistant for high school students enrolled in STEM, and arts courses.
It’s hard not to see the company’s sex robot roots in Sally’s visage. The $57,000 android has smooth silicone skin, a dazed expression on her face, and an ill-fitting wig made of long brown hair.
The district’s superintendent Mark Beehler told New York Focus that he was willing to give up banning AI in the classroom since “students will find a way around most rules that schools put in place.”
“I also believe it is critical for schools to teach proper use of technology, not simply exclude it,” he said.
Sally’s onboard AI can be used to generate lessons, provide translations in real-time in over 100 languages, and provide human teachers with guidance if a “teacher loses their place during a lesson or needs a prompt on what comes next,” according to New York Focus.
To us, that sounds like a pretty cynical take on the future of education. Teachers are already facing a major uphill battle thanks to the advent of the tech, with students suffering from declining cognitive abilities.
Of course, Realbotix argues that it’s done its homework. Instead of hallucinating facts, a major shortcoming of the tech that makes it arguably unfit for most classroom use, Sally will allegedly say “I don’t know.” Realbotix also said its robot won’t be directly connected to the internet to keep highly sensitive information about students from prying eyes.
Still, it’s a bizarre investment for the school district that comes at a particularly tough time for human educators. The reality is that teachers across the country are woefully underpaid. There’s a massive shortage of instructors, with tens of thousands of teacher positions going unfilled.
In a press release, the Salamanca City Central School District stressed that the “Realbotix educational robot will never replace teachers, staff members, or meaningful human interaction.”
But whether Sally will actually serve as “another instructional tool that educators can use to engage students, reinforce classroom learning, and spark curiosity about emerging technologies,” remains to be seen — especially considering its steep price tag and lascivious origins.
More on Realbotix: “Companionship” Robot That Its Creator Says Is Definitely Not a Sex Robot Looks Around With a Dazed Expression
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