Melania Trump urges students to learn AI and build robots

In short: Melania Trump is using her role as First Lady to promote artificial intelligence education for school age students during President Trump’s second term.

What’s going on

Melania Trump has been speaking to students about artificial intelligence, often called AI, which is computer software that can recognize patterns and generate text, images, or other output (like a very fast helper that learns from examples). In a recent appearance reported by The New York Times, she told students at Mountain View Elementary School that they should be “at the forefront of technology,” and encouraged them to build robots using AI.

This message fits a broader set of student focused efforts linked to the White House. Reporting and official statements describe her as a leading advocate for AI and children’s education in the second Trump term, including events at the White House that highlight AI in learning.

One major program is the Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge for K through 12 students, launched in 2025. It invites student and teacher teams to submit AI related projects, and winners have been recognized at a White House awards ceremony.

Her outreach has also included virtual sessions designed to reach large numbers of schools across the country. At the same time, she has warned about risks to kids, including AI made fake images and videos (deepfakes, which are like realistic looking digital impersonations) and harmful online content.

What to watch

Expect more school visits, online events, and student competitions tied to AI, along with continued attention to safety rules for minors. A key question is how these education efforts will be measured, including how many schools participate and what students are asked to build.

Source: NYTimes