Salamanca schools pause “Sally” AI classroom robot pilot after state concerns
Salamanca City Central School District paused its Realbotix AI classroom robot pilot on July 24, 2026, after New York’s education commissioner objected.
Photo by Deane Bayas on Pexels
Salamanca City Central School District in western New York put its AI classroom robot pilot on hold on July 24, 2026, hours after the state education commissioner raised concerns about the plan, New York Focus reported. The district announced the pause in a Facebook post, saying the program is “currently on hold” while it works through “enhanced student data privacy agreements” with the New York State Education Department and continues engaging with the community.
The pilot paired a Realbotix humanoid robot nicknamed “Sally” with an AI teaching assistant called “Optio.” The Salamanca school board approved a $57,590 contract with Realbotix, a Las Vegas-based robotics company, in June 2026, with a planned expansion to about 500 high school students in the fall. Winssolutions previously covered the original Realbotix and Optio pilot announcement.
Commissioner Betty Rosa cited classroom concerns
New York Focus reported that State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa sent Superintendent Mark Beehler a letter on July 24, 2026, after the department met with the district earlier that week. Rosa wrote that “the Department remains concerned about the effect that a humanoid robot may have within a high school classroom,” and that “many parents, teachers, and stakeholders are understandably concerned… particularly when it involves robots that resemble humans,” according to the letter obtained by the outlet. Buffalo Toronto Public Media (BTPM), which confirmed the pause on July 27, 2026, reported that the hold applies to the district’s entire agreement with Realbotix, covering both the Optio AI assistant and the “M-Series” humanoid robot purchase, and that the robot itself drew the most discussion locally.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Realbotix partnership first announced | June 24, 2026 |
| Salamanca school board approves $57,590 contract | June 2026 |
| Planned fall expansion (target) | ~500 high school students, fall 2026 |
| District pauses pilot via Facebook statement | July 24, 2026 |
| Commissioner Rosa’s letter to Superintendent Beehler | July 24, 2026 |
| BTPM confirms pause | July 27, 2026 |
Source: New York Focus, July 24, 2026, and Buffalo Toronto Public Media, July 27, 2026.
Teachers’ union and vendor respond
Melinda Person, president of the state teachers’ union NYSUT, said “a robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms,” New York Focus reported, a reference to Realbotix’s ties to RealDoll and parent company Tokens.com. Realbotix chief executive Andrew Kiguel responded that the company “fully respect[s] any decision the school makes” and that it “stand[s] firmly behind the program,” adding the tool is meant to support teachers rather than replace them, according to the same report. Neither New York Focus nor BTPM reported the pilot as cancelled; both described it as paused or on hold, with no date given for a decision on whether it will resume.
The district’s statement, quoted by both outlets, framed the hold around unresolved student data privacy agreements with the state rather than a rejection of AI tools generally. Winssolutions has separately examined the wider tradeoffs of humanoid robots in classrooms, where research on robot teaching assistants has so far focused on narrow tasks such as vocabulary drills and small-group practice rather than full classroom instruction.
Background
Salamanca City Central School District serves roughly 1,300 students in Cattaraugus County and is the only incorporated U.S. city located entirely within a Native American reservation, sitting on the Seneca Nation Reservation; about 32 percent of its students identify as American Indian or Alaska Native and 79 percent are classified as economically disadvantaged, according to New York Focus’s earlier reporting on the original pilot announcement. Realbotix, founded in Las Vegas, markets its humanoid robots and AI avatars for education and companionship applications; the Salamanca contract was described by the company as its first U.S. school district deployment when it was announced in June 2026. The pause, prompted by a state commissioner’s direct intervention just weeks after the contract was signed, now leaves the pilot’s fall expansion in question pending the outcome of the district’s data privacy negotiations with New York State.
Sources: New York Focus; Buffalo Toronto Public Media
Featured image: photo by Deane Bayas on Pexels (free Pexels license).
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I specialize in sustainability education, curriculum co-creation, and early-stage project strategy. At WINSS, I craft articles on sustainability, transformative AI, and related topics. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me chasing the perfect sushi roll, exploring cities around the globe, or unwinding with my dog Puffy — the world’s most loyal sidekick.
