The First Lady unexpectedly kicked off a White House summit on global education and technology by arriving with Figure 3, a humanoid robot.
There are many ways to begin an international policy summit. A humanoid robot delivering the welcome speech is not usually one of them.
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But that's exactly what happened at the White House on Wednesday, where Melania Trump entered the "Fostering the Future Together Global Coalition Summit" alongside Figure 3, a human-shaped robot developed in the United States.
Before any humans spoke, the machine addressed the audience, announcing that it was "honoured" to attend the meeting and "grateful to be part of this historic movement to empower children with technology and education".
Shortly after welcoming guests, the robot quietly left the room and did not return.
The gathering brought together representatives from more than 40 countries - including Olena Zelenska, Brigitte Macron and Sara Netanyahu - alongside major tech companies such as Microsoft, Google and OpenAI.
Trump framed the initiative as a call to action - to expand access to education and digital tools for children worldwide while addressing online safety and digital literacy.
The mission, she said, was achievable if governments and technology companies worked together, encouraging attendees to "take a proactive step" after the inaugural summit - hosting regional meetings, collaborating with the private sector and drafting legislation designed to protect children in an increasingly digital world.
While celebrating innovation, Trump warned that optimism about technology must be matched with caution, insisting that "the safety of our next generation is always paramount".
"Knowledge is the foundation of civilisation, but although academia is interesting, business is compelling. For real growth in technology and education, I encourage you to bring the private and public sector worlds together," she said.
At one point, the First Lady invited attendees to imagine a classroom led by a humanoid AI educator named Plato - an always-available digital teacher capable of delivering lessons on literature, science, philosophy and history instantly at home.
She wrapped up the event by urging nations to inspire children to "build new platforms, create new industries, and optimise production across all sectors", calling for continued "collaborative dialogue".
