Salamanca City Central School District in rural New York has paused the introduction of an AI-driven humanoid robot named Sally, initially approved for use as a teaching assistant at Salamanca High School for upper grades. The $60,000 robot, designed to resemble a human with lifelike silicone skin and long brown hair, was intended to assist in classrooms and communicate with students through their laptops.

The district emphasized that Sally would not replace human teachers and operates on a closed AI system, with all information stored locally and no student data transmitted to the manufacturers. Sally is programmed to avoid inappropriate topics such as sex, violence, and gambling and cannot access the public internet or unvetted generative AI services.

However, concerns arose over student data privacy and the manufacturer’s background. Realbotix, the company behind Sally, has a sister company, Intima LLC, which holds an ownership stake in RealDoll, a long-established maker of sex dolls, including AI-powered models described as the "world’s most advanced sex robot."

According to the Associated Press, a now-deleted statement from the district’s Facebook page confirmed the pilot program is paused as the district works through "enhanced student data privacy agreements" with state education officials and conducts community outreach.

A district representative noted the importance of providing students access to emerging technology, especially since many must travel one to two hours to encounter such innovations. Despite the integration of AI, the district maintains that "there is no possible way a robot can replace a human in a school."

Sources