Salamanca City Central school district has shelved its plan to deploy a humanoid robot in classrooms, backing away from a partnership with Realbotix after intense pushback from union leaders, educators, and community members concerned about the company's controversial background and student privacy.
The district announced the pause on July 24 via social media, citing the need to work through data privacy agreements with the New York State Education Department and gather more community input. The reversal marks a sharp turn from June, when the district had unveiled plans to bring Sally, a $58,000 humanoid robot with silicone skin, to Salamanca high school to assist with student learning through "natural conversation, facial expressions and real-time interaction."
The program unraveled once critics highlighted that Realbotix, a Toronto-based tech company, had acquired Simulacra, a Las Vegas manufacturer of sex dolls, slightly more than two years before the robot rollout announcement. The connection became a flashpoint for opposition.
Melinda Person, president of the New York State United Teachers union, issued a sharp rebuke on July 23. "A robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms," she said. Person emphasized that students need real human relationships with educators who can notice struggles, celebrate achievements, and guide personal growth in ways no machine can replicate.
Lacey Pihlblad, president of the Salamanca Teachers' Association and a high school educator, raised additional red flags about software security, data storage practices, and recording capabilities of the robot technology. "We're very concerned about the security of the software that they're implementing," she told the public.
The choice of Salamanca high school for the pilot program sparked additional criticism. The school, located on the Seneca Nation reservation, serves a predominantly Native American student population. Sierra May Abrams, a substitute teacher at the school, cast the decision as part of a troubling pattern. "Out of all the schools in New York state, let alone in the US, they chose to experiment on Native American children yet again," Abrams told the Guardian, drawing parallels to the historical trauma of Native American boarding schools.
Realbotix CEO Andrew Kiguel responded to the district's decision by telling New York Focus that the company respects the school's choice and supports thorough evaluation. He maintained that the robot was designed as a supportive teaching tool, not a replacement for educators, and insisted the program would be safe and fully approved before implementation.
Author James Rodriguez: "The robot's sex doll lineage was always going to be a problem, but the real story is why this program landed in a Native American school in the first place."
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