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WASHINGTON (CN) — As she arrived at an international technology summit at the White House on Wednesday afternoon, first lady Melania Trump found herself upstaged by an extremely unusual guest — a human-sized robot.
In a scene ripped straight out of an Isaac Asimov novel, she strolled into a roundtable of foreign dignitaries alongside the sleek white robot, the newest product from U.S.-based robotics company Figure. The first lady, matching her gait to her counterpart’s more shuffling steps, followed the humanoid robot into the meeting where she was slated to lead a discussion on the future of artificial intelligence.
“The future of AI is ‘personified,’” Melania Trump told the summit, which featured representatives from 45 nations. “It will be formed in the shape of humans.”
The first lady predicted AI models will “very soon” make the jump from computers and phones to humanoid vessels that can assist people with day-to-day tasks. “Since our environment is designed for people, humanoid systems are uniquely suited to navigate and operate within our world,” she said. “They fit well.”
She envisioned a humanoid teacher that could give students “instantaneous” access to classical education and provide a personalized experience based on the needs of individual children. An AI system emulating a human, the first lady forecast, would adapt in real time to a student’s “pace, prior knowledge and even emotional state.”
“Predictably, our children will develop deeper critical thinking skills and independent reasoning abilities,” said Melania Trump.
And she opined that children across the world should be prepared to “ascend” in a world where AI could “reset the modern world order and rebalance power.” She called on the dignitaries gathered at the White House to support initiatives to give young people with the skills they need to succeed in a world where AI is intertwined with everyday life.
But the first lady also positioned the U.S. at the forefront of the historical “turning point” posed by AI.
“We are obligated to ensure that our children become the most technologically fluent and highly educated generation in the world,” she said. “In doing so, the United States will secure long-term economic superiority. This will drive GDP expansion, attract global investment and put out nation in control of arguably the most important asset of the future: intellectual property.”
The first lady’s remarks on Wednesday were preceded by a statement given by her robotic counterpart, known as Figure 03.
Speaking in a feminine text-to-speech voice, the robot thanked Melania Trump for “inviting me” to the White House. “I am grateful to be part of this historic movement to empower children with technology and education,” the AI-powered humanoid told the gathered dignitaries.
After saying “welcome” in several different languages, Figure 03 exited the White House summit amid applause from the meeting guests, walking by a visibly uncomfortable French first lady Brigitte Macron, who leaned in to whisper to Melania Trump as the robot trudged past.
The Figure 03 model is advertised as an autonomous system that can take care of household tasks such as laundry and dish washing. The company says users can interact with its product “like you would with a human.”
Launched in October 2025, Figure 03 last year made it on TIME Magazine’s compilation of the year’s best inventions.
As AI-powered robots roam the halls of the White House, lawmakers continue to grapple with how to establish guardrails on a nascent — but rapidly growing — artificial intelligence industry. Congress has yet to lay out a concrete plan for regulating AI or the massive data centers built to power the new technology.
Two progressive Democratic lawmakers, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, unveiled new legislation Wednesday that would place a temporary moratorium on new data center construction until Congress passes landmark AI legislation.
The lawmakers have framed their legislation as buying time for lawmakers to catch up on regulating an industry they have so far lagged far behind.
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