The Salamanca City Central School District in upstate New York has paused plans to introduce a $60,000 (£44,000) AI robot after a local backlash over its manufacturer's ties to a sex doll company. The life-sized, dark-haired humanoid bot, nicknamed "Sally," was purchased from tech company Realbotix to help high schoolers study robotics and technology.
Union and community outcry
Outrage erupted when locals discovered Realbotix's sister company holds an ownership stake in RealDoll, makers of what they claim is the "world's most advanced sex robot." Melinda Person, president of the New York State United Teachers union, said: "A robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms." She added: "Our students don’t need robots. They need real relationships with caring adults."
Privacy and teacher replacement fears
Concerns also arose over data privacy and whether the robot could replace human teachers. State education commissioner Betty Rosa wrote to the district after the bot was described as a "tutoring platform." School officials have tried to reassure the public, insisting Sally will not replace staff, collect personal data, or record video and audio. The district confirmed the bot is blocked from searching the internet for adult topics, and Realbotix denied Sally was a repurposed adult toy.
Superintendent defends decision
Superintendent Mark Beehler defended the purchase, saying it would give students access to cutting-edge equipment without traveling for hours. He said: "There is no possible way a robot can replace a human in a school. Even if it were possible, it would in no way be in the best interest of students. Teaching is a human-to-human process." Former student Joplin Ficek disagreed: "They just need to hire more people who are willing to put in the effort for the children. They need more interaction with the children than having some robot raise our kids." The district confirmed the rollout is on hold while it works on data privacy agreements with state officials.
