New York school pauses plan to deploy humanlike AI robot teacher after
backlash
[July 29, 2026]
By PHILIP MARCELO
NEW YORK (AP) — A school district in a rural corner of upstate New York
is hitting pause on plans to deploy an AI-powered, humanoid robot in the
classroom after state education officials, teachers and local residents
raised concerns, including the maker's ties to a company that produces
hyper realistic sex bots.
The Salamanca City Central School District's board approved the nearly
$60,000 purchase from Realbotix with visions that “Sally,” as the
stationary robot with long dark hair has already been nicknamed, would
enhance the education of high school students studying robotics and
technology fields.
“Having a difficult time programming an Arduino board? Don’t even know
what an Arduino board is? Ask Sally and she can explain it,”
Superintendent Mark Beehler, said Tuesday. “The robot also provides
opportunities for students to learn how the robot is maintained, how it
is updated with new approved content, and how to troubleshoot issues.”
But as news spread in the small community located on the Seneca Nation
of Indians reservation, parents and teachers worried about how students'
personal information would be used. Unionized teachers took aim at
Realbotix's sex doll sister company, even as district officials and the
company itself stressed the two manufacturers operate independently.
“A robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in
our classrooms,” said Melinda Person, president of the labor union New
York State United Teachers.
For now, the robot pilot remains on hold as the district works through
“enhanced student data privacy agreements” with the state education
officials and continues outreach to the community, according to a
statement the district posted Friday on its Facebook page.
State officials and teacher voice concerns
State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa said she remained concerned
about the robot’s role in the classroom even after her staff met with
district officials.
“Although you confirmed that the robot would not have any role
delivering classroom instruction, a recent presentation to the board
characterized the robot as a ‘tutoring platform,' ” Rosa wrote in a
letter to the district Friday.
She also echoed residents’ concerns about what data privacy and security
protections would be in place.
Unionized teachers, meanwhile, suggested the effort was a first step
toward replacing, flesh-and-bone educators. “Sally” will be able to move
her arms and hands but have nonworking legs.
“Our students don’t need robots," Person said. "They need real
relationships with caring adults.”
District officials defend robot purchase
Beehler stressed the pilot, which also includes rollout of a virtual,
AI-powered teacher’s assistant and at-home tutoring program, is not
about replacing staff.
“There is no possible way a robot can replace a human in a school,” he
said Tuesday. “Even if it were possible, it would in no way be in the
best interest of students. Teaching is a human-to-human process.”
Beehler, who was connected to Realbotix through a former colleague, said
the Las Vegas-based company was a natural fit because its robots are
already programmed with WozEd, a curriculum from Apple co-founder Steve
Wozniak that the district uses.
Last year, a San Diego charter school rolled out two AI-powered robots
purchased from Engineered Arts, a robotics company based in the United
Kingdom, for $500,000.
[to top of second column]
|
A Realbotix humanoid robot, center, speaks with attendees at a
Realbotix booth during the CES tech show Jan. 8, 2025, in Las Vegas.
(AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)
Salamanca Schools, in social media posts, stressed that “Sally”
won’t be collecting students’ personal information, recording audio
or video of its interactions or sending data back to Realbotix.
The robot also has been programmed to steer clear of inappropriate
topics such as sex, violence and gambling, and it won’t be able to
search the public internet or draw answers from unvetted generative
AI services.
Instead, all information on “Sally” will be stored locally, with the
life-sized robot consuming roughly the same amount of energy as a
laptop, according to the district.
Robot maker responds to criticism
Realbotix added Tuesday that student authentication would be handled
through the district’s existing systems, and any student-linked
information would remain encrypted and under the district’s control.
The company also pushed back at suggestions that “Sally” was simply
a repurposed sex doll, saying it was a “newly manufactured,
purpose-built educational unit” with no modified hardware.
The school’s robot comes from Realbotix LLC, which focuses on
healthcare, education and other nonadult commercial applications. A
sister company, Intima LLC, holds an ownership stake in RealDoll, a
longtime maker of sex dolls, including a line of AI-powered models
billed as the “world’s most advanced sex robot.”
“Realbotix LLC and Intima LLC have different product offerings with
no crossover,” the company said in a statement last week. “The two
subsidiaries maintain their own management, personnel, payroll,
facilities, manufacturing operations, product development, and
market strategies.”
Some residents remain wary
Beehler argued that it is crucial for isolated districts like
Salamanca, which is located along the Allegheny River near the
Pennsylvania state line, to find new ways to introduce cutting-edge
products into classrooms.
“In most cases, our students need to travel 1-2 hours to have
opportunities to see emergent technology,” he said Tuesday. “One of
the intents of the robot is to help level the playing field and
motivate students to continue studying robotics, AI, and STEAM
related career pathways.”
Some Salamanca residents, though, remain unconvinced.
Joplin Ficek, who graduated from Salamanca High School in 2024 and
now works at a daycare, said she doesn’t see any reason to have
robots or AI take such a prominent role at her alma mater at all.
“They just need to hire more people who are willing to put in the
effort for the children,” Ficek said. “They need more interaction
with the children than having some robot raise our kids.”
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
