NEW YORK, May 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Decades before AI, a Bronx school had a curious device that contained encyclopedic and curricular information, verbally addressed students by name, adjusted its teaching speed based on each child's needs, knew their hobbies, and made kids smile ear to ear. The kids loved the robot; some admitted they preferred learning from it over a human!
Watch Leachim (and later descendants) in action in this draft video
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LEACHIM teaching fourth-grade students in the Bronx, New York, during the 1970s.
A current 2025 image of LEACHIM, the pioneering educational robot developed in the 1970s.
Long before modern AI, students in the Bronx were already learning from LEACHIM, a pioneering classroom robot of the 1970s.
Historic publications documenting LEACHIM and 2-XL, pioneering milestones in interactive technology.
A publication featuring Dr. Michael J. Freeman with LEACHIM and 2-XL in the 1970s.
This is not fantasy. It was called a normal Tuesday for fourth-grade students at a Bronx public school in 1972. There sat a fully computerized, six-foot-tall robot doing what it was programmed to do: teach children, sometimes several simultaneously. Today, many would call it AI.
Students loved its "ceaseless patience," meaning no matter how many times they erred, the robot never made them feel inadequate or belittled—a capability many humans today find challenging.
One student, Matthew Gray, a former student taught by the robot who recently learned of its re-emergence, wrote: "As one of Leachim's original fourth-grade students, I will never forget its positive influence over my entire life…"
Shortly after its debut in the 1970s, this robotic wunderkind became an instant media sensation, with articles published and invitations to appear on live television shows. Many were eager to test out its capabilities. Some thought there must be a little man hidden inside!
There wasn't. Inside was complex computerized machinery created by famed inventor and scientist Michael J. Freeman, Ph.D., whose work went on to alter many industries. He named the robot Leachim (an anagram of his name). Leachim helped lay the groundwork for billions of dollars in future commercialized products within the educational toy field, including the 2-XL Robot (widely considered the first smart toy).
"Leachim was not simply a robot," said Suzanne, curator and spokesperson for Leachim. "It is an important missing link in the technological history of artificial intelligence, educational technology, and American invention."
Watch Leachim (and later descendants) in action in this draft video at Leachim-1.com
This iconic piece of technological history, along with its prototypes, patents, inventor notes, and commercialized descendants in original packaging, is scheduled for public auction in late 2026. Collectors, museums, and institutions worldwide are expected to closely follow the sale. No auction date or auction house has yet been announced.
For specific information, additional materials, or interview requests with Dr. Freeman, contact Suzanne, the curator at [email protected]
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