New York School Puts Controversial Classroom Robot on Hold After State Pushback

Just weeks after making national headlines for planning to bring a humanoid robot into a high school classroom, a Western New York school district is hitting pause.

The Salamanca City Central School District announced Friday that it is putting its controversial AI classroom pilot program on hold while it works through additional student privacy agreements with the New York State Education Department and gathers more feedback from the community.

The decision comes after mounting criticism from parents, teachers, and state education leaders over the district's plan to spend nearly $58,000 on a lifelike robot named Sally.

State Education Department Raised Concerns

According to the district, the project was intended to support, not replace, teachers by giving students another way to access district-approved educational materials and homework assistance.

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However many parents, educators, and stakeholders remain uneasy about bringing human-like artificial intelligence into schools.

The District Says It's Not Canceling the Program

While the project is on hold, Salamanca has not officially canceled it.

School officials say they'll continue working with the state on enhanced student data privacy agreements before deciding whether to move forward.

Realbotix, the company building Sally, said it respects the district's decision and supports additional review before the robot enters a classroom.

The company says its goal is to create a tool that assists teachers and students, not replaces them.

Why the Robot Sparked So Much Debate

The controversy wasn't just about artificial intelligence. After the district announced the project, many parents questioned the company behind the technology.

Realbotix traces its roots to RealDoll, a company known for manufacturing hyper-realistic adult dolls before expanding into AI-powered humanoid robots for industries like education, healthcare, retail, and hospitality.

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That connection prompted criticism from the New York State United Teachers union, whose president said a robot developed by a company associated with sex dolls has no place in New York classrooms.

Others also questioned whether schools should be investing nearly $58,000 in AI technology instead of additional teachers or classroom resources.

Supporters Say AI Is the Future

Not everyone opposed the idea.

Some parents and community members argued that exposing students to artificial intelligence now could better prepare them for future careers where AI tools are becoming increasingly common.

Supporters also pointed out that the district said Sally would not collect personally identifiable student information, record conversations, or connect to public internet-based AI systems.