The Salamanca City Central School District in upstate New York has temporarily suspended its plan to introduce a nearly $60,000 AI-powered, humanoid robot into classrooms following significant backlash from state education officials, teachers, and community members. The robot, nicknamed "Sally," was intended to enhance education in robotics and technology fields, with Superintendent Mark Beehler suggesting it could explain complex programming concepts and assist with technical issues.
However, the proposal faced immediate criticism. Unionized teachers, through their president Melinda Person of New York State United Teachers, voiced strong objections, particularly highlighting Realbotix's connection to a company that produces realistic sex dolls. "A robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms," Person stated. Concerns also extended to the potential use of student personal information and data privacy protections.
State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa expressed reservations, noting that while the district assured the robot would not deliver classroom instruction, a presentation to the school board had characterized it as a "tutoring platform." Rosa conveyed her ongoing concerns about data privacy and security measures in a letter to the district.
District officials have defended the purchase, emphasizing that the robot is not intended to replace human teachers. Beehler stated, "There is no possible way a robot can replace a human in a school. Teaching is a human-to-human process." He explained that Realbotix was chosen partly because its robots utilize WozEd, a curriculum aligned with the district's existing technology resources. The district also stressed that "Sally" would not collect personal student information, record audio or video, or transmit data to Realbotix. All information would be stored locally, and the robot would avoid inappropriate topics and external internet access.
Realbotix has responded to the criticism by asserting that it and its sister company, Intima LLC, which has ties to sex doll manufacturer RealDoll, operate independently with distinct management, operations, and product lines. The company stated that the educational robot is a "newly manufactured, purpose-built educational unit" with no repurposed hardware. They added that student authentication would be managed through the district's existing systems, with any linked information remaining encrypted and under the district's control.
Despite these assurances, some residents remain skeptical. Beehler argued that such technology is crucial for providing students in a rural, isolated district with access to cutting-edge tools and career pathway opportunities. However, some graduates, like Joplin Ficek, believe the focus should be on increasing human interaction and staffing rather than introducing robots into the educational environment.
The pilot program is currently on hold while the district works on enhanced student data privacy agreements with state officials and continues community outreach.