The White House had a special guest on Wednesday, with first lady Melania Trump. Figure 03 was welcomed as a tool to help children improve their education with the use of artificial intelligence.
The robot can be seen walking with the first lady as part of her Fostering the Future Together inaugural summit, marking a global alliance to empower the next generation. The robot thanked Trump and greeted the room in 11 different languages: English, Bengali, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese, Hebrew, Slovene, Ukrainian, and Georgian.
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“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. I’m Figure 03, a humanoid built in the United States of America. I am grateful to be part of this historic movement to empower children with technology and education,” Figure 03 said.
Trump launched the coalition last September to bring world leaders together to enhance children’s well-being through education and innovation. The group gathered at the State Department for the second day of what the administration anticipates to be a long-term agenda.
“Humanoid systems are uniquely suited to navigate and operate within our world,” she said.
Trump emboldened those attending to be proactive in unlocking more access to technology and creating legislation to protect children. She said empowering students through tech and education is achievable.
She emphasized that Figure 03 or this type of technology is a tool that is always patient and available for children. The technology can recognize students and even understand their emotions. Trump said this can lead to a well-rounded education.
In her address, Trump defined three pillars for the next generation:
- The use of artificial intelligence to personalize learning.
- The emergence of humanoid educators as at-home tools for students.
- The role of technology and education as a driver for America’s economy.
“America, we are obligated to ensure that our children become the most technologically fluent and highly educated generation in the world. In doing so, the United States will secure long-term economic superiority,” Trump said.
However, Trump carefully noted that tech optimism must be balanced with caution. In a world where information is instantly available at our fingertips, Trump alerted attendees that safety is a paramount objective.
She closed out Wednesday’s meeting by enforcing the shared commitment to engage in education initiatives.
