New York State Withdraws AI Robot 'Sally' Classroom Deployment…'Link to Adult Doll Company'

A rural town school district in northern New York State temporarily halted its plan to introduce AI humanoid robots in classrooms due to concerns raised by the state education department, teachers, and residents about the link between the robot manufacturer and an adult sex doll company. The Salamanca City School Board had approved purchasing a fixed AI robot 'Sally' from RealBotics for approximately $60,000, designed to answer student questions and learn maintenance processes. However, worries about student data privacy and the company's subsidiary producing adult AI dolls intensified opposition. The New York State Education Union and state education officials expressed concerns about the robot being used as an extracurricular platform, while the company clarified they are separate entities, Sally is education-focused with no data sharing, and blocks inappropriate content.