New York school district pauses deployment of AI robot teacher Sally

The Salamanca City Central School District in upstate New York approved a purchase of a humanoid robot named “Sally” from Realbotix for about $60,000, intending to use it as a classroom assistant for high‑school robotics and technology courses. The robot, with lifelike silicone skin, long hair and AI‑driven dialogue, was to answer student questions and demonstrate programming concepts.

After the announcement, parents, teachers, union representatives and New York State education officials raised concerns over student data privacy and the maker’s affiliation with a company that produces hyper‑realistic sex dolls. State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa said the district’s plans remained troubling, and the district placed the rollout on hold while negotiating enhanced student‑data privacy agreements and increasing community outreach.