Salamanca Teachers Assail $57,590 School Robot Pilot as State Raises Privacy Concerns
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 25
Salamanca Teachers Assail $57,590 School Robot Pilot as State Raises Privacy Concerns
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 25
Summary
$57,590 bought Salamanca High School a humanoid robot named Sally and an AI teaching assistant for a fall 2026 pilot, drawing calls from teachers to pause the rollout.
Teachers say the Realbotix program dehumanizes education, adds more technology as New York schools reassess screen use, and leaves unanswered questions about data storage, recording capabilities and software security.
New York education officials said they have raised serious concerns with the district about student privacy, safeguards and the risk the robot could take on duties that should remain with trained professionals.
Nearly 40% of Salamanca High students are Native American, and some Seneca residents and local educators called the school an inappropriate testing ground, citing trauma linked to boarding-school history.
Realbotix said the limited pilot would complement rather than replace teachers and give the district a controlled way to evaluate AI and robotics in its STEM curriculum.