A Robot Named Sally: A School Pilot and a Pause

A school in upstate New York planned to use a humanoid robot named Sally in high school classes. The robot has silicone skin, long brown hair and can move its arms and make expressions. Students would use a personal code so Sally can continue conversations and help with homework.

The robot was made by a company called Realbotix and will use an AI system named Optio. The school paid $57,590 for the robot and software. The plan was paused on July 24, 2026 while the district and the state work on student privacy agreements. Local teachers and parents raised concerns about the robot in class.