A charter school network in San Diego is facing backlash after spending $500,000 on two ChatGPT-powered humanoid robots, Ameca, developed by Engineered Arts, to use as classroom teaching partners. The six-foot-two robots, configured with four personas including a teacher, a wellness coach, a college planner and a translator, are never left alone with students. Wayne Holmes, a professor of AI and education at University College London, stated there is “no independent evidence at scale” that these tools are safe or effective in a classroom setting. A second researcher called the physical robot “just complete bullsh*t, a show, a charade, a spectacle,” arguing the distraction is detrimental and no machine can replicate a human teacher. Holmes added that suggesting Ameca could “ever be within a million miles of the capabilities of a human teacher is criminal,” with critics noting the $500,000 could have funded actual teachers, paraprofessionals or mental health support staff. During one observed classroom session, a robot impersonating Nikola Tesla delivered a lesson filled with stops, starts and interruptions, speaking too quickly for students to follow, and the school’s own dean of academic studies admitted the session was “clunky.” The debate comes as Norway recently banned AI tools for elementary school students entirely, citing declining test scores.