Humanoid robot delivers speech at White House

A humanoid robot on Wednesday delivered a speech at the White House, introducing the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump.

The robot, identifying itself as “Figure 3,” walked alongside Melania into the White House, drawing curiosity and highlighting the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.

The humanoid robot was developed by Figure AI, a tech company based in Sunnyvale, California.

The First Lady had invited first spouses from around the world to a global tech summit at the White House to discuss the responsible use of artificial intelligence in child education.

In the video, Figure 3 expressed gratitude to Melania for allowing it to visit the White House and said being given the opportunity to give a speech was an honour.

“I am grateful to be part of this historic movement to empower children with technology and education," Figure 3 said.

At the end of its speech, it said “welcome” in 11 different languages, impressing guests.

“Figure 3, it is fair to state you are my first American-made humanoid guest in the White House," Melania said.

While commending the progress of the AI industry, she emphasised the adoption of humanoid technology in institutions and facilities.

She said humanoid technology would become more personified, highlighting the changing relationship between humanity and technology.

“It (AI) will be formed in the shape of humans. Very soon, artificial intelligence will move from our mobile phones to humanoids that deliver utility,” she added.

Melania said humanoid technology would play an important role in education, noting it could save time and allow children to spend more time with friends and develop extracurricular hobbies.

She said humanoid products were capable of operating seamlessly within human environments.

"Since our environment is designed for people, humanoid systems are uniquely suited to navigate and operate within our world," Melania noted.

However, she reiterated the need for regulation, highlighting concerns over the impact of artificial intelligence on the cognitive development of young users.