Washington, 26 March (H.S.):

First Lady Melania Trump turned heads Wednesday when she made a dramatic entrance alongside a sleek American-made humanoid robot at the White House, marking a bold step forward in blending cutting-edge AI with global education efforts.

The striking moment unfolded on the second day of the Fostering the Future Together Global Coalition Summit, a two-day gathering that wrapped up Wednesday after kicking off with a working session at the State Department on March 24.

Mrs. Trump, escorting the robot named Figure 03 down a red carpet into the East Room, hosted representatives from more than 40 countries, including first spouses from France, Poland, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco.

Figure 03, developed by Silicon Valley startup Figure AI and unveiled in its third generation last October, captivated the audience by delivering opening remarks in 11 languages. I am grateful to be part of this historic movement to empower children with technology and education, the robot declared, prompting a witty response from the first lady: It's fair to state you're my first American-made humanoid guest in the White House.

In her address, Mrs. Trump envisioned a future where humanoid teachers tailor lessons in classics, math, and beyond to match students' learning paces and emotional states, all while emphasizing safeguards against online harms. She praised the assembly of tech giants like OpenAI, Palantir, xAI, Google, Meta, Adobe, Microsoft, and Zoom, urging leaders to harness their innovations to uplift children, educators, and economies worldwide.

The summit, launched by Mrs. Trump at the UN General Assembly in September 2025, unites nations in deploying AI tools for digital literacy, tutoring, and child safety protocols at little to no cost. Figure 03, powered by the company's Helix AI engine and priced around $25,000, symbolizes this public-private push, with CEO Brett Adcock hailing the event as history.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar