- The White House welcomed its first humanoid robot
- Figure 03 walked and spoke awkwardly
- First lady Melanie Trump later touted a robot teacher
When US first lady Melania Trump said last year: “The robots are here,” we had no idea she was literally talking about it. On Wednesday we attended the spectacle of the First Lady of the United States walking down the hallway of the East Room with a humanoid robot Figure 03 at her side.
The occasion was the start of the second day of their summit, “Fostering the Future Together,” which focuses on children and their education through technology.
As Figure AI’s robot walked carefully down the hallway, the First Lady wordlessly walked beside him, offering a cheerful smile that only faded when Figure 03 crossed in front of her and then quickly marched towards the East Room. Mrs. Trump then seemed ready to speak, but suddenly the robot appeared in front of the podium, where it remained silent 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 comprehensive inventory of where its components come from). The robot then waved and said “welcome” in 11 languages before leaving the camera’s range.
Ah, but Figure 03 was not finished. The humanoid robot reappeared behind the podium and carefully walked behind the event attendees as Mrs. Trump watched. Finally, everyone took their seats and Mrs. Trump confirmed that Figure 03 has just made history: “It’s fair to say that you are the first American-made humanoid guest at the White House.”
The “Figure 03” robot, powered by artificial intelligence, accompanies first lady Melania Trump to a summit at the White House 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. In September, to mark the start of the administration’s “White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education,” Mrs. Trump said: “Robots are here. Our future is no longer science fiction.” He added: “I predict that AI will represent the fastest growing category in our nation during this administration.”
While the administration has not made robotics a major focus of its growing AI initiatives, Mrs. Trump seems somewhat more committed. During Wednesday’s event, he spoke openly about the potential of a robot teacher, which he appeared to call “Play-Dot.”
“Imagine a humanoid teacher named ‘Play-Dot’. Access to classical studies is now instant. Literature, science, art, philosophy, mathematics and history; humanity’s entire corpus of information is available in the comfort of your home.”
This teacher robot, Mrs. Trump said, would offer students personalized experiences and would always be patient and available. “The Play-dot, powered by AI, will boost analytical skills and problem solving,” he added.
WATCH: Melania Trump suggests using humanoid robots to advance teachers – 03/25/26 pic.twitter.com/23lKPlD87kMarch 25, 2026
First Lady Trump went on to say that this robot teacher could help children spend time with friends, play sports, and “develop interests beyond school.”
It is unclear whether Figure 03, which could cost approximately $20,000 per humanoid, could even serve that educational function. However, it is designed for the home. Figure AI claims it is autonomous and has extensive sensors, including some in its hands, for safe home use. However, as of this writing, Figure 03 is not yet for sale.
First Lady Trump didn’t pair this fictional robot teacher with the very real Figure 03 robot that just left the room, which is probably for the best, since it seemed far from ready to teach a nation’s children.
But these are the early days. Keep an eye out for more robots in the White House (maybe Elon Musk’s Tesla Optimus will get an invite), and no, we’re not talking about the politicians.
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