The article criticises a New York school district’s now-paused plan to spend $60,000 on a humanoid robot teaching assistant called Sally. The writer argues that pupils are unlikely to respect or engage seriously with a robot, and questions whether the proposal represents a useful educational investment.

Sally was intended for high-school technology and robotics classes in Salamanca, a rural district whose superintendent said it would give students access to advanced technology and practical experience maintaining and updating it. The writer contends that the district could instead direct the money towards teachers or pupils’ equipment, noting concerns about under-resourced and underpaid public-school staff.