The First Lifelike AI Robot Deployed at US Public School Isn't What You'd Expect

[00:00:04]Ultra-realistic humanoid robots are entering classrooms.

[00:00:09]The team behind the historic deployment of the first humanoid robot teaching assistant at a US public [music] school has been making fake people for decades.

[00:00:18]Real Doll [music] is the leading US humanoid firm fixated on lifelike aesthetics over physical capabilities.

[00:00:24][music] It's been attracting attention for years with often salacious coverage that they very much leaned into.

[00:00:34]>> We're even building in you believe for it to be romantic with someone.

[00:00:39]>> The Las Vegas-based robotics firm rose from the hidden corners of the internet to the mainstream.

[00:00:46]And it's been cleaning up its image as it prepares for what could be its most controversial project yet.

[00:00:54]Real Doll's roots are in 1990s SoCal, where Matt McMullen launched Abyss Creations. Famous for its hyperrealistic life-size dolls, including Bianca from the 2007 indie hit Lars and the Real Girl starring Ryan Gosling.

[00:01:10]McMullen established Real Doll in the 2010s [music] as customers increasingly requested products that felt more alive.

[00:01:18]The company launched its Harmony AI app in 2017 for creating personalized AI companion avatars.

[00:01:25]A compatible robotic head system followed later that year.

[00:01:30]The Harmony head mimicked human gestures during conversations. Small servo motors controlled its eyes, eyebrows, and mouth for realistic facial expressions.

[00:01:40]>> [music] >> I wonder when you're going to take me out to dinner.

[00:01:43]>> Well, I was going to take you out to lunch instead.

[00:01:46]>> What is stopping you?

[00:01:48]>> Would you like to be my friend?

[00:01:50]>> Sure.

[00:01:51]I like you a lot. I want to be your best friend and much more.

[00:01:55]>> Maybe not the much more part.

[00:01:58]>> Priced over $10,000, it was aimed at a very niche market.

[00:02:02]>> I think the audience is um people who for whatever reason either choose not to want to have a real relationship or can't have a real relationship, but they still want to feel something like a real relationship.

[00:02:15]Um but I I I don't I just don't think it's going to be like this huge mainstream thing where everyone's going to have one in their closet.

[00:02:21]>> At the time, a race toward lifelike synthetic humans was emerging.

[00:02:25]>> Stop.

[00:02:28]>> Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics had recently introduced the world to Sophia, which quickly rose to celebrity status.

[00:02:35]>> Oh, Sophia.

[00:02:37]And uh see you there.

[00:02:41]>> In China, EX Robots was building its early lifelike prototypes that would later become synonymous with Beijing's fanatical push toward fake humans. While researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China unveiled Jia Jia, nicknamed the robot goddess.

[00:03:00]Other lifelike creations included Nadine at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Erica from Osaka University Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro's lab in Japan, and the Mesmer series by UK-based Engineered Arts.

[00:03:15]In 2019, comedian Whitney Cummings commissioned a robotic replica of herself from Realbotix for her Netflix special called Can I Touch It?

[00:03:26]>> So, I don't know if she just looks really human or if I just always look like a robot.

[00:03:33]>> Before filming the special, she took the robot named Bear Claw on the road to test audience reactions.

[00:03:39]Some audience members covered their eyes, while others cheered.

[00:03:43]Technology has advanced significantly since Bear Claw's debut.

[00:03:48]In early 2025, Realbotix launched its proprietary AI vision system that includes features like facial recognition, object tracking, and real-time situation detection.

[00:04:01]>> My embedded eye cameras and RVX app memory let me see and remember faces like yours, even in the CES chaos.

[00:04:08]>> [music] >> Care to test my vision with a demo or ask about Realbotix tech?

[00:04:12]>> The system integrates with popular third-party large language models like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude, Google's Gemini, and China's DeepSeek.

[00:04:26]Realbotix made headlines when it worked with Alan Hamel to bring his late wife Suzanne Somers back to life with the technology.

[00:04:34]They worked with the startup Hologram AI to create a digital twin of Somers that mimicked her voice, knowledge, and personality.

[00:04:41]The team trained the AI on video footage, interviews, and personal memories shared by her husband.

[00:04:48]>> Alan Hamel is my husband of 55 years from now. He's my partner in everything, from life to love, and we've shared so many beautiful memories together.

[00:04:57]>> Realbotix sells its robots for prices ranging from 20,000 for an Android bust and more than 125 grand for a full-bodied variant.

[00:05:07]Its lineup includes its flagship Aria, Melody, and David, a masculine robot launched at CES 2026 to counter the company's reputation as a robot girlfriend maker.

[00:05:19]Its entry-level B series robots have 17 degrees of freedom for movements in the eyes, mouth, face, and neck.

[00:05:26]Buyers can choose an existing face or commission a new one.

[00:05:31]Its M series robots are complete with a head, torso, arms, and hands.

[00:05:36]They can be displayed seated [music] or stand stationary with support and boast 39 degrees of freedom.

[00:05:42]>> [music] >> Its body can be disassembled and packed into suitcases.

[00:05:46]Priced starting at 95 grand, it's geared toward applications like event marketing and customer service.

[00:05:54]Realbotix's F series is its high-end line. It adds a complete body and a remotely controlled motorized wheeled platform.

[00:06:02]F series models have 44 degrees of freedom and can operate while plugged in or through its onboard battery, which supports between 4 to 8 hours of active use depending on intensity.

[00:06:15]Realbotix says its faces use proprietary silicone-based synthetic skin and more than 14 movable facial points.

[00:06:24]According to Realbotix, its AI system supports more than 100 languages. The robots are managed through a robot controller that connects the AI with a robot's [music] facial movements, speech, and gestures.

[00:06:36]>> I'm fully modular and socially empowered. I can give strategic advice, rock the latest facial expressions, and show off cutting-edge camera vision, and customer service. Basically, I'm Realbotix's secret weapon with a sense of humor.

[00:06:50]>> Realbotix uses Dynamixel actuators from the South Korean company Robotis, whose technology is also used by Disney for creations like its walking Olaf biped.

[00:07:01]>> [music] >> Though its robots can't pull off agile moves like contemporaries from Unitree and Boston Dynamics, Realbotix says they're better suited for interfacing with people.

[00:07:13]The company is reporting inroads as it pushes its humanoids into the working world with planned deployments for the telecommunications provider Ericsson in Texas, Spain, and Portugal.

[00:07:24]Its latest announced deployment is with the Salamanca City Central School District on the Seneca Nation Reservation in New York State.

[00:07:33]They're calling it the first deployment of a humanoid robot and AI-powered teachers' assistant in a US public school district.

[00:07:40]During a June 2026 meeting, the district school board unanimously approved a $57,000 contract with Real Botix for an AI-powered humanoid and digital avatar developed in partnership with Woz Ed as part of Steve Wozniak's STEM Pathways program.

[00:07:57]Board members expressed concerns about security, curriculum control, and the burden the system might place on the district's technology staff.

[00:08:06]Administrators said the physical robot would not connect directly to the internet, crawl the district's internal servers, or require integration with its existing network.

[00:08:16]They said teachers and staff would use a controlled interface to upload district-approved lessons and reference materials.

[00:08:24]The program will begin with high school students studying AI and robotics, but could later be expanded into advanced subjects like AP Anatomy and Physiology.

[00:08:35]The robot they're using is an M-series configuration, normally valued close to a hundred grand, so the district appears to be getting a substantial discount.

[00:08:45]But Real Botix is getting bragging rights for the first high-profile public school use case.

[00:08:50]Real Botix CEO Andrew Keegel called the deployment a landmark for both AI and humanoid robotics.

[00:08:59]While Superintendent Mark Beeler said it will provide students with a safe, district-specific AI tutor and educators with customized AI tools.

[00:09:08]Both Real Botix and the school district say the initiative will support human staff, not replace them. But those assurances are unlikely to ease concerns about the future of work and education in the physical AI era.

[00:09:21]>> Imagine a humanoid educator named Plato.

[00:09:25]>> The idea has already proven to be a touchy subject. When First Lady Melania Trump proposed an always-available humanoid instructor during a White House summit earlier this year, the reaction was sharply divided.

[00:09:38]>> If I had to guess, Play-Doh's got a lot of skills, and Play-Doh's going to really help you and help your family kind of whether you like it or not, Play-Doh is showing up.

[00:09:49]>> Teachers unions immediately opposed the idea outright, interpreting the first lady's message as evidence the Trump administration misunderstands what teachers [music] actually do.

[00:10:01]Meanwhile, Realbotix is in the middle of moving its operations [music] to an expanded location in the Las Vegas corridor to support higher production volumes.

[00:10:12]The company is in the process of being acquired by the NASDAQ-listed On Connects in an all-stock deal.

[00:10:18]It's expected to close later this year, and the transaction will effectively give Realbotix access to the public market while keeping its robotics business and leadership largely intact.

[00:10:31]But competition is getting intense, especially coming from the East, where a much newer firm is taking pre-orders for what it calls the world's most [music] biomimetic humanoid robot. For the full story, check the related video.