A High School in Upstate New York Is Getting a Robot Teaching Assistant. Not Everyone Is Happy About It.

When students at Salamanca City Central High School return to class this fall, they’ll find a new face in the room — one made of silicone. The school district, about 60 miles south of Buffalo, has signed a $57,590 contract with robotics firm Realbotix to bring a humanoid robot named Sally into select technology classes. Sally, a stationary M-series model, is designed to mimic human expressions and hold natural conversations, but the move has sparked backlash from teachers and parents who say they were left out of the decision.

The robot is meant to work alongside human teachers, not replace them, according to district Superintendent Mark Beehler. Students will use personalized IDs to interact with Sally, which will remember their learning history and past questions. Realbotix is also providing an AI tutoring system called Optio for at-home homework help. Beehler told a local journalist that banning AI outright is the easy path, and that schools should teach students how to use technology responsibly. But the New York State United Teachers union disagrees, arguing that the money could have hired two actual teaching assistants instead.

Critics also question the company behind the robot. Realbotix has ties to RealDoll, a manufacturer of hyperrealistic adult toys. Company officials insist the two entities operate independently and that no adult-product staff are involved in the school project. Local parent Sierra Abrams called the robot an inappropriate addition to a community already facing environmental and economic challenges. With the district serving roughly 1,300 students — nearly one-third Indigenous, and four in five economically disadvantaged — some worry the technology will further alienate an underserved population. The teachers union put it bluntly: “Our students are not lab rats.”