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A school district in western New York planned to become the first in the country to place a lifelike humanoid robot named Sally in a high school classroom to assist both students and teachers.
That plan has been stopped in its tracks. At least for now.
The pause came after the State Education Commissioner, Betty Rosa, sent a letter on July 24, expressing concerns: “Many parents, teachers, and stakeholders are understandably concerned about the presence of artificial intelligence technology in classrooms, particularly when it involves robots that resemble humans.”
The correspondence also included a reminder that several vendors already offer approved artificial intelligence products that comply with New York State’s data privacy and security requirements.
If AI tools already exist, why push for a $57,590 humanoid robot? Could there be a bigger plan at play here?
We’re told Sally isn’t here to replace teachers, and some may buy that. But it’s hard not to see this as a pilot program for replacing teachers. Why? Because Sally bots don’t ask for raises, benefits, or sick days, and most importantly, they are fully compliant.
The most unbelievable part about this situation is who’s providing the bots that will commingle with the children.
The creator of Sally is Realbotix, formerly known as Tokens.com. In 2024, they acquired Simulacra Corporation, the parent company of RealDoll, the supplier of realistic s x dolls. Although Realbotix has been trying to distance itself from that history, the connection still exists, and its bots reflect that with a similar “hot” yet “creepy” look.
And this is what they plan to put in front of our high school kids?
That should go well.