A rural upstate New York school district is pausing its plan to deploy an AI-powered humanoid robot in classrooms after state officials, teachers, and residents raised concerns about student data privacy and security. The Salamanca City Central School District board approved the nearly $60,000 purchase from Realbotix for a robot nicknamed “Sally,” described as a tutoring and robotics aid. Unionized teachers and community members objected to the maker’s corporate connections, including criticism tied to a sex-bot sibling company, while the district and company said the two businesses operate independently. State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa said she remained concerned after a board presentation characterized the robot as a “tutoring platform,” and she requested clearer assurances on privacy and security protections. The union also questioned whether the program could function as a step toward replacing educators. The robot pilot is on hold while the district works through “enhanced student data privacy agreements” with state education officials, illustrating how AI governance and privacy contracting can halt technology pilots even before deployment.