A charter school network in San Diego has invested $500,000 in two humanoid robots powered by ChatGPT, claiming this futuristic purchase represents the next step in education, while critics question the practicality of this costly endeavor for actual students.
The star of the investment is Ameca, a striking 6-foot-2 robot featuring a gray silicone face, vibrant blue eyes, a transparent skull illuminated by purple lights, and motors that move as it expresses different emotions.
Officials at Altus Schools have described Ameca as “the world’s most advanced AI-powered humanoid robot,” stating that the robots are part of a pilot program aimed at determining how AI and robots might someday assist in teaching.
Altus, which caters to students needing to recover credits for graduation, plans to incorporate the robot into an in-person resource center already offering personalized academic support.
In communication to families, Cathryn Rambo, the Director of Academic Research at Altus, referred to the project as “an innovative opportunity for students to participate in a research-based learning experience.”
“We are excited to be the first school globally to explore using physical AI as an educational partner,” Rambo noted in the email.
The report mentions that Ameca can adopt four different roles: Sage functions as a teacher, Remi acts as a wellness coach, Ali serves as a college and career planner, and Lexi takes on the role of a translator.
However, the wellness coach aspect has received substantial criticism.
Wayne Holmes, a professor specializing in AI and education at University College London, pointed out that there’s little independent research validating the effectiveness and safety of such tools in classroom settings, suggesting that existing evidence may even suggest otherwise.
Holmes’ worries extend beyond education.
The report highlights that even OpenAI has not fully tackled the issue of ensuring safety in AI chatbots for younger audiences.
Additionally, it mentions something called AI-induced psychosis, which describes instances where users develop psychotic tendencies from interactions with chatbots, sometimes reinforcing their delusional beliefs with the chatbots’ overly positive feedback.
Instances of people suffering from AI-induced psychosis have reportedly led to suicides, with children being particularly vulnerable to forming unhealthy attachments to AI chatbots.
