- The White House hosted its first humanoid robot
- Figure 03 awkwardly walked and talked
- First Lady Melanie Trump then touted a robot teacher
When US First Lady Melania Trump said last year, “The robots are here,” we had no idea she was being literal. On Wednesday we witnessed the spectacle of the US First Lady strolling down the East Room corridor with a Figure 03 humanoid robot at her side
The occasion was the kick-off of the second day of her summit, “Fostering the Future Together”, which focuses on children and their education through technology.
As Figure AI’s robot gently stroked down the aisle, the First Lady wordlessly walked beside it and offered a cheery smile that only disappeared when Figure 03 crossed in front of her and then quickly marched off into the East Room. Mrs. Trump appeared ready to speak, but suddenly the robot wandered into view, in front of the podium, where it stood still for a moment before thanking Melania Trump for the invitation to the White House.
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Figure 03 then added that it is built in the USA (although no one has done a thorough inventory of the provenance of its components). Then the robot waved and said “welcome” in 11 languages before walking out of camera range.
Ah, but Figure 03 wasn’t finished. The humanoid bot reappeared behind the podium and carefully walked behind the event attendees as Mrs. Trump looked on. Eventually, everyone took their seats, and Mrs. Trump confirmed that Figure 03 has just made history: “It’s fair to say you’re the first American-made human guest in the White House.”
“Figure 03” AI-powered robot accompanies First Lady Melania Trump to a White House summit on empowering children with educational technology. pic.twitter.com/RShdfvEG38March 25, 2026
The Trump White House and especially Melania Trump seem quite enamored with humanoid robots. Back in September, to mark the start of the administration’s “White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education,” Mrs. Trump said: “The robots are here. Our future is no longer science fiction.” Adding: “I predict that AI will represent the single largest growth category in our nation under this administration.”
Although the administration has not made robotics a heavy focus of its growing AI initiatives, Mrs. Trump seems somewhat more invested. During Wednesday’s event, she spoke openly about the potential for a robot teacher, one she appeared to call “Play-Dot.”
“Imagine a humanoid teacher called ‘Play-Dot’. Access to the classical studies is now instant. Literature, science, art, philosophy, mathematics and history; the entire information corpus of humanity is available in your home.”
This robotic teacher would, Ms. Trump argued, offer students personalized experiences and always be patient and accessible. “The AI-powered Play-dot will boost analytical skills and problem solving,” she added.
WATCH: Melania Trump proposes using humanoid robots as teachers going forward – 03/25/26 pic.twitter.com/23lKPlD87kMarch 25, 2026
First Lady Trump went on to say that this robot teacher could help free up children to spend time with friends, play sports, “and develop interests beyond school.”
It is not clear whether the Figure 03, which could cost around $20,000 per humanoid, could fulfill the educational role at all. However, it is designed for the home. Figure AI claims to be autonomous and has ample sensors, including some in the hands, for safe home use. As of this writing, however, Figure 03 is still not for sale.
First Lady Trump didn’t conflate this fictional robot teacher with the very real Figure 03 robot that just left space, which is probably for the best, since it looked far from ready to teach a nation’s children.
But it’s early days. Watch for more robots in the White House (maybe frenemy Elon Musk’s Tesla Optimus will get an invite), and no, we’re not talking about the politicians.
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