2026-07-28 11:00:22
A New York school district has suspended plans to introduce a humanoid robot into one of its high schools following strong opposition from teachers, unions and community members.
The Salamanca City Central School District announced that its pilot programme with Toronto-based technology company Realbotix had been put on hold while officials review student data privacy protections and gather further feedback from the community.
The district said in a statement: “Ensuring that appropriate privacy protections are in place and incorporating input from our community are important parts of the process.”
The proposed programme would have introduced a humanoid robot named Sally to Salamanca High School. According to Realbotix, the approximately $58,000 machine was designed to provide interactive learning experiences through natural conversation, facial expressions and real-time responses.
The company said the robot was intended to encourage student participation and provide students with exposure to emerging technologies, rather than replace teachers.
However, the plan faced immediate criticism after details of Realbotix’s history emerged. The company acquired Simulacra, a Las Vegas-based manufacturer of sex dolls, in 2023, prompting concerns among educators about whether its technology was appropriate for use in schools.
The New York State United Teachers union strongly criticised the proposal.
Union president Melinda Person said: “A robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms.”
Person argued that students needed relationships with teachers and support staff rather than artificial intelligence systems.
She added: “Educators notice when students are struggling, celebrate when they succeed and help them discover who they can become. No robot can do that.”
Teachers at Salamanca High School also raised concerns about data security, questioning how student information would be collected, stored and protected.
Lacey Pihlblad, president of the Salamanca Teachers’ Association, said staff were worried about the software’s security and the robot’s recording capabilities.
The programme also attracted criticism because Salamanca serves a large Native American population and is located on the Seneca Nation reservation in upstate New York.
Substitute teacher Sierra May Abrams questioned why the school had been selected for the pilot, referencing the history of harmful experiments and policies imposed on Native American communities.
Realbotix CEO Andrew Kiguel said the company respected the district’s decision and supported further review.
He said: “We want the programme to be demonstrably safe, fully district-approved, and strongly supported by teachers.”
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