New York school pauses AI robot teacher plan after privacy and cultural concerns

The Salamanca City Central School District, located on the Seneca Nation reservation in upstate New York, announced on July 24 that it is pausing its pilot program with Toronto-based company Realbotix following widespread backlash from educators, community members, and state officials. The district had planned to deploy Sally, a humanoid robot with silicone skin and brown hair, to Salamanca High School this fall at a cost of approximately $58,000. According to the district, the robot was intended to support students learning robotics and technology, offering personalized tutoring and 24/7 virtual access to assist with coursework.

Criticism emerged on multiple fronts. Teachers expressed concerns about data privacy and security, questioning how student information would be stored and whether the robot had recording capabilities. The New York State United Teachers union, representing educators across the state, opposed the program, with union president Melinda Person calling it "really inappropriate" and stating that "a robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms." Realbotix acquired Simulacra, a Las Vegas-based manufacturer of sex dolls, for $16.7 million in April 2024, though the company has stated that its education and robotics division operates independently from adult-product manufacturing.

Cultural sensitivity emerged as a significant concern. Native American community members and educators questioned why the pilot was being launched at a school serving a large Native American population, citing the history of harm inflicted by boarding schools on Indigenous communities. Substitute teacher Sierra May Abrams stated: "Out of all the schools in New York state, let alone in the US, they chose to experiment on Native American children yet again." State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa also raised concerns about the robot's role in classrooms and data privacy protections.

District Superintendent Mark Beehler defended the purchase, arguing that the robot was designed to support rather than replace teachers and would provide educational value in robotics instruction. Realbotix CEO Andrew Kiguel stated that the robot does not record audio or video, does not use facial recognition, and does not store student data. He said the company respects the school's decision to pause the rollout and supports thorough due diligence by all parties.

The pause comes as New York state moves toward stricter oversight of educational technology. The State Education Department is developing comprehensive statewide guidance on the responsible use of AI and digital tools in schools. Teachers' unions have called for enforceable statewide guardrails on AI deployment in classrooms, including heightened protections against humanoid robots. The program would have made Salamanca the first school district in the US to deploy a humanoid robot and AI teaching assistant in this capacity.