New York School Pauses $60K AI Robot Teacher After Backlash

School district suspends AI robot pilot program

The Salamanca City Central School District in upstate New York has put on hold its plan to introduce an AI-powered humanoid robot into high school classrooms after facing opposition from state education officials, teachers, and community members, according to the Associated Press.

The district's board had approved purchasing the nearly $60,000 robot from Realbotix, intending to use the stationary unit—already nicknamed "Sally"—to support students studying robotics and technology. The robot features long brown hair, functional arms and hands, and was designed to answer technical questions and serve as a learning tool for students to understand robotics maintenance and programming.

Privacy and corporate ties spark concerns

Opposition mounted quickly once details became public. State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa expressed concern about the robot's classroom role, noting confusion over whether it would function as a "tutoring platform" despite district assurances it wouldn't deliver instruction. Rosa also questioned what data privacy and security protections would be implemented.

The controversy intensified around Realbotix's corporate structure. While the company manufactures the educational robot through Realbotix LLC, a sister company called Intima LLC holds ownership in RealDoll, a manufacturer of AI-powered sex dolls. The companies maintain they operate independently with separate management, facilities, and product lines.

"A robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms," said Melinda Person, president of New York State United Teachers.

Why it matters

This case illustrates the complex challenges school districts face when adopting AI technology. Beyond technical capabilities, districts must navigate data privacy regulations, corporate vetting, union concerns about job displacement, and community trust—especially when vendors have controversial business lines. The incident may prompt other schools to conduct more thorough due diligence before purchasing AI educational tools.

District defends educational value

Superintendent Mark Beehler defended the pilot program, emphasizing that the robot would not replace human teachers and that teaching remains "a human-to-human process." He argued that rural districts like Salamanca, located on the Seneca Nation of Indians reservation near the Pennsylvania border, need innovative ways to expose students to emerging technology.

The district connected with Realbotix because its robots come pre-programmed with WozEd, a curriculum from Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak that Salamanca already uses. According to district statements, "Sally" would not collect personal student information, record audio or video, or send data back to the manufacturer. All information would be stored locally, with the robot consuming roughly the same energy as a laptop.

Realbotix stated that student authentication would use existing district systems, with all student-linked information remaining encrypted under district control. The company described the educational unit as "newly manufactured, purpose-built" with no modified sex doll hardware.

Program remains suspended

The district announced Friday it would continue working on "enhanced student data privacy agreements" with state education officials while conducting additional community outreach. The pilot also included plans for a virtual AI teaching assistant and at-home tutoring program.

Some community members remain skeptical. Joplin Ficek, a 2024 Salamanca High School graduate, told the AP that schools should hire more staff willing to engage directly with students rather than introducing robots into classrooms.

Details of the suspended program were first reported by the Associated Press.