Melania Trump Hosts White House Summit with Humanoid Robot Figure 3

Melania Trump walked into the White House's East Room on Wednesday alongside a humanoid robot named Figure 3, making history as the first American first lady to feature an AI-powered humanoid robot in a major policy event. The robot, developed by Figure, an American robotics company based in California, is fully autonomous and was not being teleoperated, according to a company representative. Both the first lady and her mechanical guest were clad in shades of white as they walked the red carpet to music that sounded reminiscent of John Williams's "Hook" soundtrack, played by a military orchestra. The event, called the Fostering the Future Together Global Coalition Summit, brought together first spouses from around the world to discuss children's access to technology and education. The name "MELANIA" was emblazoned on the side of the robot's glossy plastic head, matching the first lady's signature branding aesthetic.

Robot greets audience in 11 languages, then exits Figure 3 delivered brief remarks in the East Room, opening with a formal salutation to the gathering. „Thank you to First Lady Melania Trump for inviting me to the White House. It is not an exaggeration to say that you are my first American-made humanoid guest to come to the White House.” — Figure 3 robot via Wired The robot then introduced itself as "Figure 03," described itself as a humanoid designed for the United States, and expressed appreciation for participating in the summit. It concluded its presentation by greeting the audience in 11 (languages) — languages in which Figure 3 delivered salutations to the audience before leaving the room. Melania Trump described the moment as a turning point for technology and humanity, and presented her vision for products such as Figure 3 in the context of children's education.

Melania envisions robot named 'Plato' teaching the classics The 55-year-old first lady used the summit to advocate for integrating humanoid robots into the educational lives of children worldwide. She offered a concrete illustration of her vision, describing a hypothetical humanoid educator. „Imagine a humanoid educator named Plato. Access to the study of the classics is now instant.” — Melania Trump via SudOuest.fr She argued that such technology would help children develop critical thinking and independent reasoning abilities. In the history of modern first-lady initiatives — which have included Laura Bush's national book festival, Michelle Obama's food pyramid campaign, and Jill Biden's advocacy for free community college — Melania Trump's involvement of a humanoid robot in education policy was described by the New York Times as a first. The White House stated the summit aimed to expand access to technology, including artificial intelligence, and education to children worldwide.

Zelenska, Macron, and Netanyahu among first spouses attending The summit drew a notable group of attendees from allied nations, with first spouses gathering in the East Room to witness the event. Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine, was present alongside Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, and Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Figure AI, the California-based company behind Figure 3, was founded in 2022 by Brett Adcock. The company's robot is described as capable of tasks ranging from fetching towels and carrying groceries to serving champagne, though Melania Trump and some technology researchers envision a far broader role for the machines in education and social development. After taking a less prominent public role during Donald Trump's first term in office, Melania Trump has assumed a more visible position since her husband returned to the White House in January 2025, with artificial intelligence and digital technology forming the centerpiece of her agenda as first lady.

Melania Trump previously served as first lady from 2017 to 2021 during Donald Trump's first term, during which she launched the "Be Best" initiative focused on children's well-being, online safety, and opioid abuse. Figure AI was founded in 2022 and has positioned itself among a wave of American robotics companies developing autonomous humanoid machines for commercial and industrial use. The use of humanoid robots in public policy discussions has accelerated alongside rapid advances in large language models and AI-driven motion control systems in recent years.