Melania Trump Welcomes ‘Humanoid Guest’

The White House East Room witnessed an unusual moment on Wednesday as a humanoid robot made its formal debut in front of an audience of tech leaders and spouses of world leaders. First Lady Melania Trump introduced “Figure 3,” a cutting-edge robot built in the United States, during a summit focused on artificial intelligence and the safety of children, according to CNN.

Developed by the California-based startup Figure AI, the robot slowly walked across the room on metal legs, scanned the crowd, and delivered a prewritten message. “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,” the robot said, according to the AP. “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 concluded its remarks with greetings in multiple languages, from English to Arabic. Figure AI says the third-generation model is intended to assist with household chores such as cleaning and laundry.

The first lady highlighted the robot as the “first American-made humanoid guest in the White House,” calling the introduction a milestone for how AI could enter everyday life. She suggested that humanoid machines could soon move beyond smartphones into classrooms and other real-world settings. As an example, she imagined a “humanoid educator named Plato” teaching classical subjects while allowing children more time for friends, sports, and hobbies. She also stressed that protecting children remains a top priority.

This appearance marked the second day of the first lady’s “Fostering the Future Together” initiative, which brought first spouses including Israel’s Sara Netanyahu and Ukraine’s Olena Zelenska to Washington. On Tuesday, the first lady encouraged partnerships with companies like Meta and OpenAI to prioritize child safety in AI development. Her own participation on Wednesday was brief, with roughly seven minutes of opening remarks before leaving prior to a panel on AI in education, CNN reports.

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