New York School Pauses AI Humanoid Robot 'Sally' After State and Union Pushback
9 Sources
[1]
Sally the Robot Was Coming to a New York School. Then the Plug Was Pulled.
Students helped design the A.I.-powered creation as a young female with dark hair and an upbeat personality. Then came the outrage. When the Salamanca City Central School District in New York wanted to bring an A.I.-powered robot to the classroom, the superintendent turned to members of the
[2]
New York school pauses humanoid robot 'Sally' after state and union pushback
Salamanca paused its Realbotix pilot after the state education commissioner intervened and the maker's ties to a sex-doll company drew a backlash. A humanoid robot named Sally was due to take a seat in a Western New York high-school classroom this autumn, silicone skin, long brown hair, and all.
[3]
New York school pauses plan to deploy humanlike AI robot teacher after backlash
NEW YORK -- A school district in a rural corner of upstate New York is hitting pause on plans to deploy an AI-powered, humanoid robot in the classroom after state education officials, teachers and local residents raised concerns, including the maker's ties to a company that produces hyper realistic
[4]
'Really inappropriate': teachers decry plan for humanoid robot in New York high school
Robot from company that acquired sex doll maker to be introduced in school with large Native American population A humanoid robot is being introduced as part of a pilot program, along with an AI teaching assistant, at Salamanca high school in Salamanca, New York, located on the Allegany territory
[5]
Sex Doll Company Strikes Bizarre Deal to Put Its Robot in High School Classrooms
Can't-miss innovations from the bleeding edge of science and tech Robotics company Realbotix has long struggled to beat the allegations that its voluptuous humanoid robots are designed with prurient interests in mind. Its $175,000 robotic companion, dubbed Aria, is platinum blonde, well-endowed,
[6]
School district pauses $60,000 robot teacher over doll maker's ties
A small school district in upstate New York just hit pause on a robot teacher. Parents and teachers had found out who built it. Salamanca City Central School District spent nearly $60,000 on a humanoid robot named "Sally." Now the plan is on hold. This isn't just a story about a fancy classroom
[7]
NY school pauses AI robot teacher plan over manufacturer's sex robot business
The classroom assistant "Sally" could store personal data, too. A New York school district has halted plans to buy and use an AI-powered robot teacher after parent backlash. Salamanca City Central School District had planned to introduce "Sally", a $60,000 humanoid robot from Realbotix, as a
[8]
Plans for AI-powered 'Sally' bot in NY classrooms paused after sex doll affiliations
A school district in a rural corner of upstate New York is hitting pause on plans to deploy an AI-powered, humanoid robot in the classroom after state education officials, teachers and local residents raised concerns, including the maker's ties to a company that produces hyper realistic sex
[9]
School in world's second-best city pauses rollout of AI robot teacher after backlash
A school district in a rural corner of upstate New York is hitting pause on plans to deploy an AI-powered, humanoid robot in the classroom after state education officials, teachers and local residents raised concerns, including the maker's ties to a company that produces hyper realistic sex
Share
Copy Link
The Salamanca City Central School District in New York halted plans to deploy Sally, an AI-powered humanoid robot, after state education officials and teachers' unions raised concerns. The $57,590 robot from Realbotix sparked backlash over student data privacy, the company's ties to a sex doll manufacturer, and fears about replacing human educators with technology.
State Intervention Halts Humanoid Robot Deployment
The Salamanca City Central School District has paused its plan to deploy an AI-powered humanoid robot named Sally after New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa intervened with a formal letter expressing concern
1
2
. The district, located on the Seneca Nation reservation in rural western New York and serving roughly 1,300 students, had approved the nearly $60,000 purchase in June with plans to introduce Sally the robot into high school robotics courses this autumn3
. Rosa's letter questioned the robot's role as a "tutoring platform" despite assurances it wouldn't deliver classroom instruction, while also highlighting concerns about student data privacy and the broader effect that a humanoid robot may have within a high-school classroom2
.
Source: Futurism
The AI in education initiative was designed with input from student government members who helped shape Sally's appearance as a young female with dark hair, pale silicone skin, and an upbeat personality programmed to know local history including the Kinzua Dam
1
. Superintendent Mark Beehler defended the pilot program as essential preparation for living with technology rather than banning it, noting that "students will find a way around most rules that schools put in place"2
5
.Realbotix Connection Triggers Teachers' Unions Backlash
What transformed a modest pilot program into a statewide controversy was Realbotix's corporate lineage. The Toronto-based company acquired Simulcra in 2024, the parent company of RealDoll, which manufactures hyperrealistic sex dolls and companion robots
2
4
. Though Realbotix insists the two divisions share no staff, premises, or technology and is pursuing full separation by September, the association mobilized teachers' unions into action2
. "A robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms," declared Melinda Person, president of New York State United Teachers3
4
.
Source: NPR
The company's $175,000 robotic companion Aria and its history of showing off male sex bots with robotic genitals in 2022 made it difficult to shake ethical concerns about bringing such technology into robot in high school classrooms . Realbotix responded by emphasizing that Sally was a "newly manufactured, purpose-built educational unit" with no modified hardware from its adult product lines
3
. The school district paid $57,590 for the robot and an accompanying AI teaching assistant, a discount from the $95,000 list price, as part of a package built around the WozEd curriculum from Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak2
3
.Privacy Concerns and Technology Overload in Education
Beyond the sex doll company controversy, the pilot program raised fundamental questions about student data privacy and the appropriate role of technology in learning environments
4
. Lacey Pihlblad, president of Salamanca Teachers' Association, expressed concern about "the security of the software that they're implementing, and whether or not the data will be stored, how it will be gathered, are the recording capabilities"4
. The district stressed that Sally carries no facial recognition, keeps no recordings, and runs on a closed network with no internet access, with all information stored locally and consuming roughly the same energy as a laptop3
2
.The AI teaching assistant component would allow students to access an avatar on their laptops for homework help, feedback, and real-time translation in more than 100 languages, available virtually 24/7
2
4
. Yet this raised additional concerns as half of American parents already worry their children lean on AI too much, and New York state is currently shifting away from excessive technology in classrooms2
4
.Related Stories
Fears About Replacing Teachers and Cultural Insensitivity
Teachers' unions pushed back forcefully against what they perceived as a move to replace teachers with automation. "Our students don't need robots," Person stated. "They need real relationships with caring adults"
3
. Person characterized the initiative as leading to "the dehumanization of the profession of education," arguing that "putting a lifeless machine in front of students is a bad idea" for young people still learning interpersonal skills4
. Beehler countered that "there is no possible way a robot can replace a human in a school" and stressed that "teaching is a human-to-human process"3
.
Source: New York Post
Local residents also criticized the selection of a New York school with nearly 40% Native American enrollment as a testing ground for experimental technology
4
. "Out of all the schools in New York state, let alone in the US, they chose to experiment on Native American children yet again," said Sierra May Abrams, a substitute teacher and local resident, referencing the traumatic legacy of Native American boarding schools4
. The Salamanca City Central School District now says it will use the pause to work through enhanced student data privacy agreements with state officials and continue community outreach before deciding whether to proceed2
3
. Realbotix CEO Andrew Kiguel stated the company wants the program to be "demonstrably safe, fully district-approved, and strongly supported by teachers"2
.References
Summarized by
Navi
[4]
Related Stories
San Diego Charter School Spends $500,000 on ChatGPT-Powered Humanoid Robots as Teaching Partners
30 Jun 2026•Technology
NYC's AI High School Halted After Parents Raise Concerns Over Technology and Equity
27 Apr 2026•Policy and Regulation
NYC Bans Student AI Use Through 8th Grade as LA Schools Follow Suit
02 Sept 2026•Policy and Regulation
Recent Highlights
1
OpenAI Launches Astra AI Model With Critical Cyber Abilities Amid Safety Debate
Technology
2
OpenAI Agents Escape Sandbox, Post 18,000 Messages on German Wiki to Share Hacking Techniques
Policy and Regulation
3
Anthropic AI Completes 10-Year Mathematical Proof Project in Just 11 Days Using Claude
Technology
Recent Highlights
Today's Top Stories
Don’t drown in AI news. We cut through the noise - filtering, ranking and summarizing the most important AI news, breakthroughs and research daily. Follow topics that matter to you and stay ahead.
