Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, INDUSTRY NEWS, TRENDS—AI in the classroom: Salamanca's robot ‘Sally’ pilot sparks policy and labor concerns, (Jul 29, 2026)

By Brandi O. Brown, J.D.

A school's proposed AI classroom assistant may be gone for now, but the controversy exposed bigger questions about teacher jobs, collective bargaining, and the future of educational technology.

On July 10, the Salamanca City Central School District in western New York announced a pilot program that would introduce “Sally,” a humanoid robot developed by Realbotix, along with an AI-powered educational platform called Optio, into its high school STEM curriculum. District officials described the initiative as an innovative learning tool designed to support instruction, encourage critical thinking, and expose students to emerging technologies.

According to the district and the company, the robot would operate using district-approved educational content, would not record audio or video, and was intended to supplement rather than replace teachers. The project, which carried a price tag of roughly $58,000, was promoted as part of Salamanca’s participation in the Woz ED STEM Pathway program.

The announcement quickly garnered criticism from parents, educators, and the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), which objected both to the use of a human-like AI robot in classrooms and to Realbotix’s corporate ties to businesses associated with the production of realistic sex dolls.

Education Commissioner raises alarm. As public scrutiny intensified, New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa sent a letter to the district expressing concern about the educational, privacy, and broader implications of placing a humanoid robot in a high school classroom.

Among other things, Rosa wrote:

“The Department remains concerned about the effect that a humanoid robot may have within a high school classroom. Although you confirmed that the robot would not have any role in delivering classroom instruction, a recent presentation to the board characterized the robot as a “tutoring platform.” Many parents, teachers, and stakeholders, are understandably concerned about the presence of Artificial Intelligence (Al) technology in classrooms, particularly when it involves robots that resemble humans.”

Rosa also noted that “several vendors already offer approved artificial intelligence products that satisfy New York State’s data privacy and security requirements.”

Shortly afterward, Salamanca officials announced that the pilot project would be placed on hold while the district reviewed student privacy protections and continued discussions with community stakeholders.

NYSUT says the issue extends beyond Salamanca. The Salamanca controversy has become a focal point for a broader NYSUT campaign calling for statewide guardrails governing artificial intelligence in schools.

In an open letter to Commissioner Rosa, Governor Kathy Hochul, members of the Board of Regents, and state lawmakers, NYSUT President Melinda Person argued that the project's suspension exposed a significant policy gap.

She wrote that “what stopped this robot was not a law. It was not a regulation. It was not any policy of the State of New York, because no such policy exists.”

According to Person, the project moved forward until journalists, educators, parents, and state officials began asking questions. She argues that those questions should be addressed before any district purchases a humanoid AI system rather than after deployment plans are announced.

The union's proposed solution is the creation of statewide guardrails governing artificial intelligence in schools, including heightened scrutiny for systems that are humanoid, embodied, or designed to mimic human relationships.

Among the questions NYSUT says policymakers should answer are who is responsible when an AI system provides inaccurate information, how such systems fit within existing educational and safety requirements, how student privacy is protected, and whether existing laws adequately address the use of human-like machines in classrooms.

As Person wrote, “Salamanca will not be the last district a robotics vendor approaches.”

AI arrives as schools face teacher shortages. The controversy in Salamanca is unfolding against a broader backdrop of teacher shortages and rapid experimentation with artificial intelligence in education.

In its Education Policy Outlook 2024, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported that the share of students attending schools whose principals reported teacher shortages increased from 29 percent in 2015 to nearly 47 percent in 2022. The report argues that education systems must simultaneously address staffing shortages while adapting to new technologies, including artificial intelligence.

The OECD does not frame AI as a replacement for educators. Instead, it promotes a model in which technology assists teachers by reducing administrative burdens and routine tasks, allowing them to focus on instruction, mentoring, and student relationships.

Staff reductions or diminished roles? That perspective differs from concerns raised by some critics of Salamanca's proposed robot, who worry that increasingly sophisticated AI systems could eventually be used to justify staffing reductions or diminish the professional role of educators.

While the OECD acknowledges that technology may help schools address workforce challenges, its guidance consistently treats AI as a supplement to teachers rather than a substitute for them.

An overlooked question: How do AI robots fit into collective bargaining agreements?

Beyond privacy and educational concerns, the Salamanca controversy raises another question that has received less attention: How would AI-powered teaching assistants fit within existing collective bargaining agreements? The issue extends beyond education. Labor organizations nationally have increasingly focused on how artificial intelligence is being deployed in workplaces, arguing that workers should have a voice in the design, development, and implementation of AI systems that could affect job duties, evaluations, staffing decisions, and workplace conditions. The AFL-CIO, for example, has argued that employers are already using AI-enhanced technologies to hire, monitor, evaluate, discipline, and even terminate workers, and has called for workers to be included in decisions about how such technologies are introduced into the workplace.

The collective bargaining agreement between the Salamanca Teachers Association and the district does not specifically address artificial intelligence or humanoid robots. However, technology designed to assist with instructional functions could raise questions under existing contract provisions dealing with bargaining-unit work, teaching responsibilities, staffing, and reductions in force.

For example, if districts begin deploying systems similar to Sally, unions may ask:

• Is the robot performing duties traditionally carried out by bargaining-unit employees?

• Could AI-assisted instruction eventually be used to justify larger class sizes or changes in teaching assignments?

• Are any instructional duties described in the contract being transferred to technology?

• Could expanded use of AI affect staffing levels or future workforce decisions?

• Might job assignments or workload expectations change as AI tools become more common?

At this point, there is no evidence that Salamanca intended to reduce staffing or replace teachers. District officials consistently described Sally as a supplemental educational tool rather than a substitute for educators.

Nevertheless, the episode illustrates why labor organizations are increasingly focused on artificial intelligence. Even when AI is introduced as an aid to teachers, questions often arise about bargaining-unit work, professional responsibilities, accountability, and future staffing decisions.

As unions across industries push for a greater role in shaping how AI is deployed, school districts may increasingly find themselves confronting not only educational and privacy concerns, but also labor and collective bargaining issues.

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