New York Teachers Condemn Realbotix Humanoid Robot Deployment in High School Over Ethics and Security Concerns
Key Takeaways
- ▸Salamanca High School is the first US district to deploy a humanoid robot (Realbotix's Sally) as an AI teaching assistant in classrooms
- ▸Teachers and Native American community members oppose the program, citing the company's ties to sex doll manufacturing, undisclosed data security practices, and concerns about dehumanizing education
- ▸The deployment contradicts New York State's growing policy consensus that students should be exposed to less classroom technology, not more
Summary
Salamanca High School in New York, located on Allegany territory of the Seneca Nation, has become the first US school district to introduce a humanoid robot named Sally from robotics company Realbotix as part of a pilot program paired with an AI teaching assistant. The robot, purchased for $57,590, is designed to offer personalized learning through natural conversation and facial expressions available 24/7 to students. The deployment has sparked significant backlash from teachers and local Native American residents, who criticize the program as culturally insensitive and inappropriate for an educational setting.
Teachers have raised multiple concerns about the initiative, including Realbotix's controversial background—the company acquired Simulacra, a maker of realistic sex dolls, for $16.7 million in April 2024. Beyond the company's history, educators worry about software security, data storage and recording capabilities, and the broader trend of over-reliance on technology in classrooms. Lacey Pihlblad, president of the Salamanca Teachers' Association, said the union plans to include AI protections in upcoming contract negotiations and is calling for the school to pause implementation pending more thorough community input and security review. Melinda Pearson, president of the New York State United Teachers, characterized the program as "really inappropriate" and noted that New York State is shifting away from excessive classroom technology, making this deployment a step in the wrong direction.
- Teachers' unions are mobilizing to negotiate AI-specific contractual protections and calling for paused implementation until proper security audits and community consultation are completed
Editorial Opinion
The Salamanca deployment reveals a troubling pattern: vendors piloting controversial technology in resource-constrained schools without meaningful community consent. Realbotix's decision to introduce a humanoid robot—especially one from a company with baggage from the sex doll acquisition—into a school on Seneca Nation territory without proper cultural consultation borders on negligent. Teachers are right to resist. The solution to educational challenges is investment in human educators and community-centered pedagogy, not expensive robots that raise immediate red flags on security and appropriateness.
