Salamanca School District Pauses AI Robot 'Sally' Deployment

Salamanca School District AI robot Sally Realbotix student data privacy union opposition

The Salamanca City Central School District in upstate New York approved a nearly $60,000 purchase of a humanoid AI robot named Sally from Toronto‑based Realbotix. The robot, equipped with silicone skin and long brown hair, was slated for high‑school AI and robotics courses as a teaching assistant.

Realbotix, which acquired the company behind RealDoll in April 2024, faced strong opposition from state Education Commissioner Betty Rosa, the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) president Melinda Person, parents and teachers who raised concerns about student‑data privacy and the maker’s ties to sex‑doll products. Rosa sent a letter urging enhanced data‑privacy agreements.

In response, the district voluntarily paused the pilot while it works on stronger privacy safeguards. Superintendent Mark Beehler emphasized that the robot would operate on a closed, non‑internet network and would not replace human teachers.

Entities: Betty Rosa · Mark Beehler · Melinda Person · Realbotix · Salamanca City Central School District · Sally (AI robot) · Sally (humanoid AI robot)

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 5 SOURCES] State education officials, teachers, parents and community members raised concerns about student privacy, data security and the manufacturer's ties to adult‑product companies. (concerns raised)
[● 6 SOURCES] Realbotix is a Toronto‑based company that acquired the parent company behind RealDoll, a manufacturer of hyperrealistic sex dolls, in April 2024. (status)
[● 5 SOURCES] State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa wrote a letter expressing concerns and the district is working on enhanced student‑data privacy agreements. (status)
[● 6 SOURCES] The district voluntarily paused the deployment of the robot after backlash. (status)
[DISPUTED] The Salamanca City Central School District approved a purchase of a humanoid AI robot named Sally for nearly $60,000 from Realbotix. (status)
[● 8 SOURCES] NYSUT President Melinda Person said a robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in classrooms. (status)
[● 5 SOURCES] The robot was intended to be used in a high‑school classroom as part of AI and robotics courses. (status)
[● 5 SOURCES] Superintendent Mark Beehler said the robot would not replace human teachers and would operate on a closed network with no internet connection. (status)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Realbotix Corp. and Abyss Creations are separate legal entities but share a parent company; Realbotix claims Sally does not use parts from the adult doll line. (Article 4fa9754a)
[● 2 SOURCES] The district is negotiating enhanced student‑data‑privacy agreements with the New York State Education Department before resuming the pilot. (Articles 4fa9754a and 87cdb556)
[● 3 SOURCES] The Salamanca School District approved a purchase of the Realbotix humanoid robot named Sally for approximately $60,000. (All articles)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The district stated the robot would help students learn programming, troubleshooting and maintenance. (Article 87cdb556)