The Salamanca City Central School District in western New York is preparing to integrate a humanoid robot teacher named Sally into its high school curriculum this fall. The robot, developed by AI and robotics company Realbotix, will participate in pilot programs for AI, coding, and robotics courses at Salamanca High School.
Sally is designed to be lifelike, capable of seated movement with its arms and hands, and programmed for natural conversation, facial expressions, and real-time interaction. The district has requested that Sally speak with a western New York accent. The curriculum for the courses Sally will be involved in was developed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
School district superintendent Mark Beehler described the initiative as "exciting but also a bit nerve wracking," acknowledging that change in education can be met with apprehension. He drew parallels to past resistance to technologies like email and internet access in schools, positioning the robot teacher as the next evolutionary step.
The cost for the robot teacher is over $50,000, with an agreement totaling $57,590 for the robot, which was expected to be delivered on July 15. Beehler stated that AI is already present in schools and defended the investment, asserting that Sally will provide data and encourage students to think independently. The robot will operate on an offline, closed AI system and will not collect personal information or communicate data to Realbotix, according to district officials.
Students will interact with Sally using unique identification codes, allowing the robot to access their learning data and offer personalized support. Realbotix CEO Andrew Kiguel explained that this system would enable personalized conversational continuity, such as recalling previous discussions.
The district has emphasized that Sally is not intended to replace teachers, stating in a released statement that "human relationships and quality instruction remain at the heart of education." They also clarified that the robot is distinct from general AI models like ChatGPT, as it is limited to the curriculum and information intentionally loaded into its system. The district also noted that Sally has safety protocols to redirect conversations away from inappropriate topics such as violence, gambling, and sex.
The Salamanca City School District serves approximately 1,300 students, with a significant portion identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native and a large percentage considered economically disadvantaged. Salamanca is unique as the only incorporated city in the U.S. located entirely within a Native American reservation.