A school district in a small town in upstate New York has paused plans to bring an AI-powered robot into its classrooms. The robot, nicknamed “Sally,” was bought for almost $60,000 from a company called Realbotix. School leaders hoped Sally would help students learn about robotics and technology, for example by answering questions about coding.
However, when local people found out, many parents, teachers and state officials became worried. One concern was about student data privacy. Another concern was that Realbotix has a sister company that makes realistic sex dolls, even though the two companies say they operate completely separately.
The teachers’ union argued that robots could not replace human teachers and that students need real relationships with caring adults. State education officials also raised concerns, especially after the robot was described as a “tutoring platform,” which seemed to go further than what the school had promised.
School officials defended the purchase, saying the robot would never replace teachers and would help students in a rural area get access to modern technology. They also said Sally would not collect personal data, record students, or connect to the internet.
Realbotix also defended its product, saying the robot was newly built for education, not a repurposed sex doll.
For now, the plan is on hold while the school works with the state on stronger data privacy agreements and talks more with the community.
