Education Secretary Linda McMahon told Newsmax on Friday that schools should embrace experimentation with humanoid artificial intelligence teaching assistants.
She said the technology could enhance classroom instruction if it is used with appropriate safeguards and does not replace educators.
On "Ed Henry: The Big Take," McMahon said that AI is becoming an unavoidable part of education and should be viewed as a tool rather than a substitute for teachers.
"AI is here to stay," McMahon said. "And I think we have to be ready rather than resistant to AI, but it has to have guardrails."
Her comments came after host Ed Henry asked about a New York school district that plans to introduce a $58,000 humanoid robot designed to serve as a teaching assistant this fall.
Henry noted some parents have expressed concerns about student privacy, potential data collection, and whether students could lose valuable one-on-one interaction with teachers.
McMahon said she has seen AI being used in schools and pointed to Alpha School in Austin, Texas, where she said school CEO MacKenzie Price recently discussed using a teaching robot with "good success."
While acknowledging concerns about student data, McMahon said she had no information indicating such robots are being used to collect information on children.
"It has to be utilized properly, not as a data gathering source," she said. "And I do not have any information that that is what they are used for."
McMahon rejected the idea that humanoid AI assistants would necessarily reduce interaction between students and teachers.
"When you brought up the fact that you might lose that one-on-one teacher interaction, in point of fact, having a teaching assistant that's a robot could very well increase the one-on-one capability for teachers in the classroom," she said.
"This is not a replacement for teachers," McMahon added. "This is a teaching tool."
She said she supports allowing schools to test the technology while carefully evaluating the results.
"I applaud the experimentation," McMahon said. "If we do it correctly in schools, we'll see what the effect is. It's experimental."
McMahon also stressed that parents should play a central role as schools evaluate AI technologies.
"We are properly protective of our children and our grandchildren," she said. "So, let's make sure that parents are involved and they go to schools and they watch how these operate and they're involved in the school decisions."
"Let's have parents continue to be involved because they're the best protectors of their children," she added.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com