- A humanoid robot named Sally, costing $57,590, is being piloted at Salamanca High School on the Seneca Allegany territory in New York, along with an AI teaching assistant from Realbotix.
- Teachers and their union criticize the program as 'inappropriate' and dehumanizing, citing concerns about Realbotix's background (formerly linked to a sex doll company), data privacy, and security of the software.
- The Salamanca Teachers' Association has called for a pause on implementation until more stakeholders can weigh in, and is seeking AI protections in their new contract.
- Native American residents, including some from the Seneca nation, criticize the pilot as 'culturally tone deaf' and reminiscent of historical traumas from boarding schools, especially since nearly 40% of the student body is Native American.
- The New York State United Teachers union president calls the robot 'creepy' and argues schools need more human connection, not more screens or robots.
- Realbotix denies ties to the sex doll company and states the pilot is intended to complement teachers, not replace them, with supervised access starting fall 2026.
- The New York State Department of Education has raised serious concerns about student privacy and the risk of replacing human professionals with technology.