First Lady Melania Trump hosted a Global Summit with First Spouses from 45 countries at the White House as part of the Fostering the Future Together initiative, and introduced a humanoid, artificial intelligence-powered robot called “Figure 03” on the morning of Wednesday, March 25. This meeting was the largest international assembly hosted by a United States First Lady at the White House, which addressed technological advancements in the realm of education.
Melania followed behind the figure, treading the red carpet with her eyes trained and attention focused on the humanoid. With a white torso, legs, arms, and a black screen for a face, akin to “The Mitchells vs. The Machines” robots, the 5’8,” roughly 135-pound humanoid produced a female voice, speaking to global leaders in the nation’s capital.
“Thank you, first lady Melania Trump, for inviting me to the White House. It is an honor to be at Fostering the Future Together’s global coalition inaugural meeting,” it said. “I’m Figure 03, a humanoid built for the United States of America. I am grateful to be part of this historic movement to empower children with technology and education.”
It welcomed the audience, offering greetings in over 10 other languages, thanked the individuals there, and walked back along the carpet in front of a captivated crowd. This model is the first American-made humanoid robot in the White House.
“The future of AI is ‘personified,’” M. Trump said. “Very soon, artificial intelligence will move from our mobile phones to humanoids.” She explained that humanoid robots would “fit” well within our world, as they are uniquely suited to navigate and operate in environments designed for people.
M. Trump requested the audience to imagine a humanoid educator that allows instantaneous access to classical studies like literature, science, mathematics, and history. This educator, which M. Trump offered the name “Plato,” will be adaptive to each student’s needs and provide personalized experiences, she said.
Many individuals worry about what this means for job security, particularly in education, and technology’s dangers to child development. President of the American Federation of Teachers, the second-largest teachers’ labor union in America, Randi Weingarten, spoke out at the inaugural Workers First AI Summit. She argued that those who support humanoid robots offering instruction ignore the importance of human interaction in education, and this tool requires human oversight, so education and decision-making responsibilities are not entirely delegated to technology.
Weingarten said M. Trump’s innovation misunderstands what kids in America’s education system really need: less screen time.
“Plato is always patient, and always available. Predictably, our children will develop deeper critical thinking and independent reasoning abilities. The AI-powered Plato will boost analytical skills and problem solving and adapt in real time to a student’s pace, prior knowledge, and even emotional state,” M. Trump said. “The byproduct – a more well-rounded lifestyle for our children – freeing-up time for being with friends, playing sports, and developing interests beyond school. A more complete person.”
She equates “The Age of Imagination,” this turning point for artificial intelligence, with other historic times like discovering electricity, the Industrial Revolution, and the race to the moon. M. Trump also emphasized the importance of safety for the next generation.
Figure AI, Inc., founded in 2022 by Brett Adcock, is a California-based robotics company dedicated to developing AI-powered humanoid robots for general purposes. Figure AI introduced their third-generation humanoid robot, Figure 03 (F.03), in October of 2025. Its advanced sensory suite is built to enable Helix, Figure’s patented artificial intelligence.
F.03 is set to be produced at Figure’s high-volume manufacturing facility for humanoid robots, BotQ. The facility, introduced in March of 2025, will be capable of manufacturing up to 12,000 humanoids per year.
