A rural school district in upstate New York has paused a $60,000 plan to bring an AI-powered humanoid robot into high school classrooms after teachers, parents, and state officials raised concerns about privacy, the vendor's ties to a sex doll manufacturer, and the potential for replacing human educators. The Salamanca City Central School District board had approved the purchase from Realbotix with the goal of enhancing robotics and technology education, but the pilot is now on hold while the district works through enhanced student data privacy agreements with the state education department.
What the robot was supposed to do
Superintendent Mark Beehler said the stationary robot, already nicknamed "Sally," would help students learn about robotics, programming, and maintenance. "Having a difficult time programming an Arduino board? Don't even know what an Arduino board is? Ask Sally and she can explain it," Beehler said. The robot could also demonstrate how to update content and troubleshoot issues. The district connected with Realbotix through a former colleague, and the robot comes preloaded with WozEd, a curriculum from Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak that Salamanca already uses.
Backlash from teachers and state officials
The plan quickly drew criticism. Melinda Person, president of the New York State United Teachers union, pointed to Realbotix's connection to a sister company that makes sex dolls. "A robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms," Person said. She and other unionized teachers argued the robot threatened to replace human educators. "Our students don't need robots. They need real relationships with caring adults." State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa also expressed reservations, writing in a letter that although the district said the robot would not deliver instruction, a recent presentation called it a "tutoring platform." She questioned what data privacy and security protections would be in place.
Some residents remain skeptical. Joplin Ficek, a 2024 Salamanca graduate who now works at a daycare, said the district should focus on hiring more people. "They need more interaction with the children than having some robot raise our kids," Ficek said.
The debate raises broader questions about how schools can responsibly adopt AI tools-a topic explored in AI for Education resources.
District pushes back on privacy fears
The district responded by stressing that Sally will not collect students' personal information, record audio or video, or send data back to Realbotix. All data is stored locally, and the robot uses roughly the same energy as a laptop. It has been programmed to avoid topics like sex, violence, and gambling, and cannot search the internet or draw from generative AI services. Realbotix said the robot is a "newly manufactured, purpose-built educational unit" with no hardware from its sister company's adult products. Student authentication would be handled through the district's existing systems, with any linked information encrypted and under district control.
Superintendent Beehler emphasized that the robot is not a replacement for staff. "There is no possible way a robot can replace a human in a school," he said. "Even if it were possible, it would in no way be in the best interest of students. Teaching is a human-to-human process." He argued that the robot helps level the playing field for the isolated district, where students must travel one to two hours to see emergent technology.
Why this matters for educators
The Salamanca case highlights the tension schools face when adopting AI. For educators, it underscores the need to understand both the capabilities and limitations of classroom AI. As tools like virtual assistants and robots become more common, teachers need clear frameworks for data privacy, ethical use, and maintaining the human connection that students rely on. AI Learning Path for Teachers courses can help educators build that foundation, ensuring they stay informed and prepared as districts experiment with new technology.
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