A rural school district in upstate New York has postponed the introduction of an AI-powered humanoid robot in its classrooms following concerns from state education officials, teachers, and local residents. The Salamanca City Central School District had planned to deploy the robot, nicknamed "Sally," to assist high school students studying robotics and technology. However, objections arose partly due to the manufacturer’s connection to a company known for producing hyper-realistic sex dolls.
The board had approved nearly $60,000 for the purchase of the stationary robot, which features long brown hair and limited mobility—its legs do not function, though it can move its arms and hands. Superintendent Mark Beehler described "Sally" as a tool designed to help students learn technical skills, such as programming Arduino boards, maintaining the robot, updating approved content, and troubleshooting. The district also planned to introduce a virtual AI teacher’s assistant and an at-home tutoring program as part of the pilot.
Despite these intentions, opposition quickly grew in the local community situated on the Seneca Nation of Indians reservation. Parents and educators expressed worries over privacy and data use, while unionized teachers focused criticism on Realbotix’s affiliation with Intima LLC, a separate company that manufactures sex dolls. Melinda Person, president of the New York State United Teachers union, argued that a robot linked to such a company is inappropriate for educational settings, emphasizing the value of human connections in teaching.
State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa reiterated concerns despite meetings with district officials, citing inconsistencies in the robot’s described role. While the district maintained that "Sally" would not be involved in direct classroom instruction, Rosa noted the robot had been referred to as a "tutoring platform" during a presentation to the school board. The state has also pushed for enhanced student data privacy agreements before the pilot can move forward.
Superintendent Beehler countered claims that the robot would replace teachers, stressing the irreplaceable nature of human educators. “There is no possible way a robot can replace a human in a school,” he said. “Teaching is a human-to-human process.” Beehler noted the match with Realbotix stemmed from its integration with WozEd, a curriculum created by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, which the district already uses.
The district has emphasized that "Sally" will not collect personal information, record audio or video, nor send data back to the manufacturer. For now, the planned pilot remains on hold as officials continue discussions on privacy measures and engage with community members to address ongoing concerns.