A school district in New York has paused its plan to deploy an AI-powered teaching assistant in classrooms. The shift follows education officials, teachers, and residents expressing concern over the initial effort. “We stand firmly behind [the program] as a supportive tool designed to assist teachers and students, not replace them.” New York State United Teachers President Melinda Person criticized the initial plan, declaring that students need “real relationships with caring adults. No robot can do that, no matter how lifelike its skin or specific its regional accent.”