Salamanca City Central School District in western New York has paused a pilot program that would have introduced a humanoid robot as a classroom assistant. The district announced on July 24 that the introduction of the Realbotix M-Series robot and its Optio AI educational platform, initially planned for fall 2026, has been put on hold.
The delay is primarily due to the need to work through enhanced student data privacy agreements with the New York State Education Department. The district is also engaging in further discussions with community members and other stakeholders before proceeding with the technology.
The pilot program was intended to provide upper-grade students in AI and robotics courses with hands-on experience. The $57,590 package includes a 5'2" humanoid robot, described as having lifelike silicone skin and designed facial expressions, intended to support lessons. The district had emphasized that the robot would not replace human teachers and would operate on a closed AI system, with no student data transmitted to manufacturers.
Realbotix stated that the partnership aimed to give educators an opportunity to evaluate these technologies in a controlled classroom environment under district oversight. The Optio platform is designed as an AI educational assistant and at-home tutor, with students interacting via personalized avatars trained on district curriculum. The physical robot was intended to give the AI technology a tangible presence, capable of natural conversation and lifelike expressions, while remaining stationary and using upper-body movements.
The school district had previously reported that the system would use school-approved curriculum and was trained to respond with "I don't know" rather than generating information if it lacked an answer. The physical unit was reportedly designed without facial recognition or recording features. To protect privacy, students would use unique identification codes instead of their names when interacting with the technology, allowing the system to retrieve learning information and continue conversations without accessing personally identifiable student information.
Realbotix has also addressed media reports connecting the school project to an adult-products business under the same parent company. The company clarified that Realbotix LLC focuses exclusively on non-adult commercial applications in healthcare and education, and that separate companies within the Realbotix Corp. holding structure operate independently, without sharing products, resources, or technology. Realbotix stated the Salamanca robot is a newly manufactured, purpose-built educational unit.
No new date has been announced for the pilot's resumption. The district maintains that appropriate privacy protections and community input are crucial components of the process.