Melania Trump Promotes Robot Teachers at Global Children's Education Summit

The humanoid robot Figure 03 accompanied Melania Trump as she arrived at the White House East Room on Wednesday for the second day of a summit she had convened with counterparts from around the world through her Fostering the Future Together global initiative. The shiny black-and-white machine did not simply stand as a prop. It thanked the first lady for the invitation, identified itself as "Figure 03, a humanoid built for the United States of America," expressed gratitude for being part of "this historic movement to empower children with technology and education," and then offered greetings in 10 other languages.

After the robot's appearance, Trump smiled and said: "It's fair to state: you are my first American-made humanoid guest in the White House." She then went further, encouraging her guests to imagine a "humanoid educator named Plato" who could teach classical studies, and said the use of robots would give children more time to be with friends, play sports and develop extracurricular interests.

Named "Figure 03," the robot strolled side by side with Mrs. Trump into the East Room for the second day of her international technology summit, where she hosted spouses of leaders from 45 nations and representatives from 28 tech companies. The startup robotics company Figure AI, based in Sunnyvale, California, introduced Figure 03 in October 2025 as its third-generation humanoid robot designed to help with household tasks such as laundry, cleaning and washing dishes. Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock said on social media he was "proud to see F.03 make history as the first humanoid robot in the White House."

The first lady had kicked off the inaugural meeting of first spouses and dignitaries on Tuesday with remarks delivered at the State Department, where a working session focused on artificial intelligence, education technology, digital literacy and skills, and safety and protection online. She launched her "Fostering the Future Together" initiative in September at the United Nations General Assembly. In those opening remarks, she set the tone for the two-day gathering: "As people we dream. As leaders we progress. As nations we will build," and urged participants to "accelerate our new global alliance, this bond, to positively impact the progress of our children."

Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska and Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, were among the first spouses present. Zelenska said she was joining Mrs. Trump's initiative as a reliable partner, and spoke about Ukraine's investment in digital infrastructure, education technologies and AI-enabled learning. Officials from nine countries, including the United States, France, Poland, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco, presented national strategies for integrating technology into education systems.

On Wednesday, Mrs. Trump told the assembled delegates that "our mission to empower children through technology and education is achievable," urging each to "take a proactive step after this inaugural summit," pledge to host a regional meeting, collaborate with the private sector, unlock access to tech for those who require assistance, and "draft groundbreaking legislation to protect our children."

She also offered a note of caution: "The safety of our next generation is always paramount." That dual message, embracing AI's promise while naming its dangers, ran through the event. Euronews reported that Mrs. Trump pointed to AI taking away recent graduate jobs and being hazardous to mental health, even as she inaugurated a new task force on AI and childhood education and declared "the robots are here."

The regulatory backdrop sharpened the tension. The Federal Trade Commission launched a review of AI chatbots to determine their impact on children, particularly around mental health and privacy, sending letters to companies including OpenAI, Meta Platforms and Character.AI requesting records on how their AI products are used by younger audiences. FTC officials cited "deeply troubling reports of dangerous interactions" that have "rightly shaken the American public's confidence."

Mrs. Trump told the assembled leaders: "The future of AI is personified." Whether that personification ultimately belongs in a classroom remains the central question her summit placed before 45 governments and 28 technology organizations, with no binding commitments yet in hand.