When students at Salamanca City Central High School return to class this fall, they’ll find a new teaching assistant in the room—one with silicone skin, a full range of facial expressions, and no legs. The school district, about 60 miles south of Buffalo, signed a $57,590 contract with robotics startup Realbotix to bring a humanoid robot named Sally into select technology classes. Sally is a stationary M-series model designed to chat with students, remember their learning history, and respond to questions in real time. The district is also rolling out an AI tutor called Optio for at-home homework help.

The move has sparked sharp criticism from the local teachers union and some parents. New York State United Teachers president Melinda Person argued that what schools really need is more human mentorship, not more artificial intelligence. A union spokesperson noted that the contract could have funded two actual teaching assistants instead, and that teachers were not consulted before the deal was announced. Local parent Sierra Abrams called the robot an unwelcome addition to a community already facing environmental and economic challenges—nearly 80% of the district’s students come from economically disadvantaged households, and the school sits on the Allegany Indian Reservation.

Adding to the controversy is Realbotix’s corporate history. Multiple reports link the company to RealDoll, a manufacturer of hyperrealistic adult toys. Realbotix insists there is no overlap in staff, payroll, or technology between the adult-product line and the education team behind Sally, and says it plans to divest from RealDoll entirely before Sally enters the classroom. The district superintendent, Mark Beehler, defended the program as a way to teach responsible tech use rather than banning it outright. But critics worry the school is being used as a testing ground. “Our students are not lab rats,” the union spokesperson said.

Source: CNET