The Salamanca City Central School District in New York has canceled a pilot program that would have introduced a humanoid robot named Sally into classrooms. The decision came after the district discovered that the robot's manufacturer, Realbotix, has ties to a company that produces sex dolls.
The district had announced the partnership with Realbotix earlier this month, intending to use Sally as an "educational resource for a small group of students" in specialized courses. However, the plan faced immediate pushback from teachers and parents who expressed concerns about the robot's potential impact on student learning and the job security of educators.
A key point of contention was Realbotix's affiliation with Intima LLC, a sister company that manufactures sex dolls. Melinda Person of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) stated that "a robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms." She emphasized that the future of education should focus on "authentic human intelligence" and strong teacher-student relationships rather than increased artificial intelligence.
In response to the concerns, the Salamanca district has put the program on hold while it works with Realbotix to "enhance student data privacy agreements." The NYSUT had previously voiced opposition to the robot's introduction, calling in May for limitations on student-facing AI and advocating for educational decisions to be guided by educators and parents.
Superintendent Dr. Mark Beehler had initially defended the program, citing planned "safeguards for content and privacy" and asserting that the robot would not provide "inappropriate, inaccurate, or biased information." He argued that the robot would enable personalized learning, support students outside of school, and meet the needs of diverse learners. Beehler also stated that the system runs on a closed network with on-campus data servers, ensuring no personally identifiable student information would be shared. He described Sally as a stationary object designed to "assist the student in getting to an answer" rather than replace teachers or learning.
Realbotix issued a statement asserting that the robot was a newly manufactured, purpose-built educational unit and not a repurposed product. The company stated the partnership would allow educators to evaluate AI technologies in a controlled environment under district oversight. They also denied any similarity between the educational robot and products in the sex industry.