New bill would ban humanoid robots in schools after New York Focus report | News | thelcn.com
## “This is the first step in what’s going to be a much larger conversation about AI in New York schools,” the Senate education committee chair said.
Key takeaways
- The U.S. has just banned new imports of Chinese‑made humanoid and quadruped robots, citing national‑security concerns, while Chinese manufacturers continue to dominate the market: AgiBot overtook Unitree as the world’s largest vendor, shipping 8,400 units (44 % of global shipments) in the first half of 2026; Unitree shipped about 5,900 units.
- Global shipments rose 272 % year‑on‑year to 19,100 units in H1 2026, with 97 % of the volume coming from China.
- In the U.S., Tesla is still testing its Optimus line internally, and Boston Dynamics is pushing its Atlas robot toward commercial production, though industrial‑scale deployment remains limited.
- A San Francisco‑based start‑up, Tau Robotics, has launched a pilot that lets residents pay $30 per hour for a 50‑k‑dollar robot to clean their homes.
- Meanwhile, New York legislators have introduced a bill that would ban schools from employing humanoid robots as classroom assistants after a local district’s pilot.
“This is the first step in what’s going to be a much larger conversation about AI in New York schools,” the Senate education committee chair said.
By Melissa Manno New York Focus Updated By Melissa Manno New York Focus Updated
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ny focus robot teacher bill illustration
In response to a New York Focus report, state senators have introduced a bill that would ban New York school districts from using humanoid robots in classroom instruction.
Underlying image courtesy of Realbotix; Bill screenshot: New York state Senate | Illustration: Leor Stylar
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This story originally appeared in New York Focus, a nonprofit news publication investigating power in New York. Sign up for their newsletter here. State senators introduced a bill Thursday that would ban New York school districts from using humanoid robots in classroom instruction. The first-of-its-kind proposal came in response to a New York Focus report about a Western New York school district’s plan to use one as a teaching assistant.
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