San Diego Charter School's $500K AI Robot Experiment Draws Skepticism

A Half-Million-Dollar Bet on Humanoid Teaching Assistants

Altus Schools, a San Diego charter chain specializing in credit recovery, has invested $500,000 in two ChatGPT-enabled humanoid robots named Ameca. Standing over six feet tall with exposed motors and a translucent skull, the robots were purchased as part of what officials call a pilot program to explore AI's role in education.

Cathryn Rambo, Altus' dean of academic studies, described the purchase in an email to families as an "innovative opportunity" and claimed the school is "the first in the world researching the use of physical AI as a teaching partner."

During a demonstration observed by Voice of San Diego in June 2026, two middle school students attempted to interview the robot impersonating Nikola Tesla. The interaction was halting—the robot interrupted students, spoke too quickly, and required multiple repetitions. Rambo acknowledged the lesson was "clunky" and represented early-stage experimentation.

Altus officials say the robots won't replace teachers but will help engage students, many of whom are low-income, homeless, or have disabilities. They hope to eventually measure educational improvements through standardized test scores, though no timeline has been set for the pilot's conclusion.

Why It Matters

The Altus experiment represents a broader trend of schools adopting generative AI without proven educational benefits. At a time when districts face budget constraints, a $500,000 investment in unproven technology raises questions about resource allocation—especially when researchers warn that AI chatbots may pose psychological risks to children and create additional work for teachers rather than reducing it.

Researchers Call the Technology Unproven and Potentially Harmful

Education researchers are unconvinced by the promise of AI-powered robots in classrooms. Wayne Holmes, a professor at University College London specializing in AI and education, told Voice of San Diego there is "no independent evidence at scale" that these tools are effective or safe.

"The suggestion that this could ever be within a million miles of the capabilities of a human teacher is criminal," Holmes said.

Neil Selwyn, a Monash University professor who wrote "Should Robots Replace Teachers?" in 2019, called the humanoid robot component "complete bullshit—a show, a charade, a spectacle." He noted that AI technologies historically create more work for teachers through troubleshooting, fact-checking, and lesson configuration rather than reducing their workload.

The robots have already encountered technical problems since their January installation. Engineers at Engineered Arts initially restricted the robots' ability to impersonate people due to concerns about "inappropriate content," but modified the restrictions at Altus' request. The robots can now impersonate figures with "gray areas" like Tupac or Bill Clinton, though with programmed limitations on sensitive topics.

Mental Health Applications Raise Red Flags

One of the robot's four personas is "Remi the wellness coach," intended to provide students with test preparation recommendations and inspirational quotes. This application particularly concerns researchers given documented cases of "AI-induced psychosis"—instances where chatbot users, especially children, develop unhealthy psychological relationships with AI systems. Some cases have resulted in suicide.

Holmes called the prospect of using AI robots for mental health support "frightening beyond all words."

Rambo emphasized that the robots won't replace mental health counselors and that students are never left alone with the machines. The robots don't record data and their memory is erased after each interaction, she said. Still, preliminary student feedback reveals "creepy" as the most common descriptor for the robots.

Sherry Turkle, an MIT professor studying technology's social impact, argued the $500,000 could have purchased tutors, mentors, or healthy snacks—resources with proven benefits. She predicted AI chatbots will follow the path of tablets and screens, which were once touted as transformative but are now being removed from classrooms by parent activists.

"The fact that it's a marvel means that we've gotten into a kind of delirium with it," Turkle said. "We are hallucinating by imagining that it's going to solve problems that it can't possibly solve."

These details were first reported by Jakob McWhinney for Voice of San Diego.