A plan to introduce a humanoid robot named Sally at Salamanca High School in Salamanca, New York, has sparked protests from teachers and local residents, who consider the program inappropriate and fear it will eliminate the human element in education. The school is in the Allegany region of the Seneca Nation, and the program is considered culturally insensitive because it is implemented in a school with many Native American students. Sally is part of a pilot program with AI-based teaching assistants, planned for fall 2026, and was purchased by the Cattaraugus County School District for $57,590. Realbotix said the district will be the first in the United States to use humanoid robots and AI teaching assistants. Lacey Pihlblad, President of the Salamanca Teachers' Association, expressed concern about Realbotix's background and software security, asking the district to delay use. Melinda Pearson, President of New York State United Teachers, said educators statewide are sounding the alarm that the program is completely inappropriate.