First lady Melania Trump predicts humanoid robots will soon provide personalized instruction. The concept has sparked controversy among educators and advocates.
At last week’s “Fostering the Future Together Global Summit,” the first lady promoted the use of robotic humanoid educators for personalized, at-home learning. First spouses from 45 countries gathered at The White House event.
“The future of AI is ‘personified,'” Trump said, predicting that families will soon move from mobile phones to humanoids that deliver “utility.”
“Imagine a humanoid educator named ‘Plato,'” she said. “Access to the classical studies is now instantaneous—literature, science, art, philosophy, mathematics, and history—humanity’s entire corpus of information is available in the comfort of your home.”
Instant access to personalized and engaging instruction will produce well-rounded children who have more time to pursue interests outside of school, she added.
It’s a bold idea that requires bridging the public and private sectors, Trump explained.
“This technology may reset the modern world order and rebalance power,” she said. “Your children must be prepared to ascend within this framework.”
The reaction
The first lady’s prediction for the future of teaching is out of touch with reality, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said in a statement.
“Anyone who cares about teaching and learning knows there is no substitute for the daily magic that happens between educators and students in the classroom,” Weingarten said. “As shiny as this technology may be, and as helpful it may be as a tool, it can never replace the human skills and knowledge needed to solve very human problems.”
Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, echoed Weingarten’s remarks, insisting that education not be dominated by billion-dollar tech companies.
“We must be clear: decisions about technology in education should be led by educators, not billionaires or profit-driven corporations,” Pringle said.
Since ChatGPT’s release in 2022, experts have claimed that teaching and other jobs that rely on human connection are safe from mass layoffs. In a recent interview with District Administration, Khan Academy founder and CEO Sal Khan said teaching is one of the safest jobs in the market.
Regardless of how advanced AI tutors become, Khan said, students benefit most from human educators who, as “the conductor of the orchestra of the classroom,” can hold learners accountable.
Meanwhile, the White House wants Congress to codify an AI policy that combines the Trump administration’s efforts to regulate political bias within AI models and eliminate barriers to innovation while upholding safety protections for children.
The White House proposal would override state laws that regulate how AI models are developed or penalize companies for how their technology is used, according to Politico. But it would not preempt state laws that protect children from deepfakes and other AI-generated sexual content.
Deepfake legislation has been prioritized in every state, including Florida, where lawmakers are split on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposed AI regulations. DeSantis’ “AI Bill of Rights” would bar companion chatbots from interacting with children without parental consent, according to The Florida Bar.
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