During a recent event at the White House, US First Lady Melania Trump made an important address focused on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in children’s futures. This meeting of the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education marked her first public appearance since mid-July, where she remarked, “The robots are here. Our future is no longer science fiction.”
Trump emphasised the need for both public and private sectors to responsibly manage AI’s development. She highlighted the importance of nurturing this technology like one would care for children—empowering yet supervised. She urged leaders to prioritise areas such as infrastructure, energy, national security, and talent development as AI continues to evolve.
Her involvement in this initiative revives her “Be Best” platform, which advocates for children’s online safety. Though she has not outlined new policy goals for “Be Best” since her husband’s return to office, Trump indicated her willingness to expand its focus to include the ethical management of AI.
In her remarks, she acknowledged both the potential and risks associated with AI, mentioning her support for a presidential AI competition aimed at schoolchildren. Furthermore, she pointed to her earlier work championing the “Take It Down Act,” which aims to protect individuals from deepfake technology and revenge pornography.
Having previously created an AI-powered audio book, Trump shared her confidence in the positive prospects of technological advancements. “As someone who created an AI-powered audio book and championed online safety, I’ve witnessed the promise of this powerful technology,” she stated in a video introducing the AI challenge.
This event was notable for being Trump’s eighth official appearance during President Donald Trump’s second term, reflecting her selective engagement with public life in Washington, D.C. To date, she has engaged in public events for only 20 days since her husband’s return to the presidency, a stark contrast to her more frequent appearances early in his first term, which included international trips and meetings with global leaders.
Nevertheless, it is reported that Melania remains in close contact with her husband throughout the day via texts and calls. During this recent event, she acknowledged the wonder of current technological advancements and reiterated, “It is our responsibility to prepare the children of America” for a future interconnected with AI.