A rural New York school district paused a plan to deploy an AI-powered humanoid robot teacher after backlash from teachers, residents, and state education officials. The Salamanca City Central School District had approved the nearly $60,000 purchase of “Sally,” made by Realbotix, as a robotics and technology learning aid. The district’s board and superintendent said the robot would not replace instruction and would serve as a platform for troubleshooting, maintenance and updates with approved content. But concerns quickly focused on student data privacy and the maker’s connections to companies associated with hyper-realistic sex robots, with unionized teachers arguing the project risked undermining classroom labor roles. State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa reiterated concerns, questioning how the robot was characterized in board communications as a “tutoring platform.” The district said the pilot remains on hold while it negotiates “enhanced student data privacy agreements” with state officials and continues community outreach, highlighting how procurement decisions for education technology can trigger rapid compliance and community oversight.