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Salamanca City Central School District Pauses AI Robot Pilot Program Following Community and Teacher Concerns

The Salamanca City Central School District has placed its plan to introduce a humanoid robot into high school classrooms on hold. The district, located on the Seneca Nation of Indians reservation, initially approved the purchase of a Realbotix robot nicknamed "Sally" to enhance the STEAM curriculum. However, the project faced significant pushback from teachers and residents who expressed concerns regarding student data privacy, the robot's ties to a company that produces realistic sex dolls, and the potential for technology to replace human interaction. Melinda Person, president of the New York State United Teachers, criticized the robot as a potential source of dehumanization for the profession of education. Meanwhile, state education officials and local Native American residents raised concerns about the cultural impact and the need for enforceable statewide safeguards. The district maintains that the robot is a purpose-built educational tool designed to complement, rather than replace, human teachers. The project remains on hiatus while the district works to establish enhanced data privacy agreements with the state education department.

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