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At a press conference<\/a> at the White House on Wednesday, First Lady Melania Trump showed up with a humanoid robot developed by robotics firm Figure AI. The duo waltzed down a red carpet together before the bot gave a brief speech, chirping: \u201cI am grateful to be part of this historic movement to empower children with technology and education.\u201d <\/p>\n Not long after these remarks, the machine mosied out of the room and disappeared.<\/p>\n The bizarre spectacle was part of the First Lady\u2019s newly launched initiative, Fostering the Future<\/a>, which invited international leaders from around the world to discuss how to empower children through educational technology, including AI.<\/p>\n The event easily evoked dystopian dreams of the future \u2014 notably ones in which the humble (human) school teacher has been replaced by a Terminator-shaped server stack that can walk and speak Latin. Indeed, during her remarks, the First Lady asked attendees to envision a future in which a humanoid robot would act as the ultimate educator for the world\u2019s children. (The event took place at the same time the Trump administration announced a separate tech council<\/a> staffed by jet-setting Silicon Valley executives.)<\/p>\n \u201cImagine a humanoid educator named Plato,\u201d the First Lady said<\/a>. \u201cAccess to the classical studies is now instantaneous \u2013 literature, science, art, philosophy, mathematics, and history \u2013 Humanity\u2019s entire corpus of information is available in the comfort of your home. Plato will provide a personalized experience, adaptive to the needs of each student. Plato is always patient, and always available. Predictably, our children will develop deeper critical thinking and independent reasoning abilities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHonored to be invited to the White House by the First Lady Melania Trump,\u201d the Figure AI X account posted<\/a> Wednesday. <\/p>\n The First Lady\u2019s comments are obviously forward-looking and don\u2019t reflect where robotics and edtech are today, or will be anytime soon. Still, the thinking that AI and technology can be used to automate learning (and, in many ways, replace human educators) has been gaining in popularity<\/a> in the tech industry. Such ideas have been repeatedly promoted by the White House.<\/p>\n Techcrunch event<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSan Francisco, CA<\/span> Over the past year, educational experiments like the Alpha School, a network of private schools that use AI to teach children<\/a> at rapid speed, have gained traction and media attention.<\/p>\n The Trump administration has embraced experiments like these, while simultaneously attacking the traditional public education system. <\/p>\n Secretary of Education Linda E. McMahon, who is in the midst of abolishing the very agency<\/a> she is tasked with running, has also found the time to visit<\/a> an Alpha School campus, where she recently praised the \u201copportunity\u201d promised by the educational chain. <\/p>\n \u201cAlpha School is reimagining K\u201312 education by equipping students with practical AI skills and preparing them for a rapidly evolving technology-driven workforce,\u201d the administration recently said<\/a>, of McMahon\u2019s visit.<\/p>\n Melania Trump\u2019s event Wednesday similarly highlighted the role that the administration feels the tech industry should play in the future of American education \u2014 with Trump recognizing<\/a> the \u201cparticipation of leading American technology companies, whose engagement reflects the growing role of the private sector in supporting safe and effective educational innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 13-15, 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n