Even more so than the first time around, Melania Trump’s tenure as first lady thus far has been more notable for her absence than her presence. But that’s beginning to change.
The ever elusive first lady, who has been highly sparing in her public appearances, emerged in recent weeks to highlight the newest addition to her slim policy portfolio: artificial intelligence, for the children.
First came a confusing video announcement, which included minimal specifics on her new initiative to help American children through AI in education. The only hard bit of information on offer was about a new competition involving students submitting AI-conceived projects to the federal government. (Some, per the White House AI challenge guidebook, will do so on posterboard, while others will “provide a demonstration or video of the technology solution.”) In the video, as an ambient soundtrack straight out of a commercial for a pharmaceutical drug trial plays, she says students can “unleash their imagination and showcase the spirit of American innovation” without explaining what any of that means, telling students to register at AI.gov and wishing them good luck.
Then she made a rare appearance alongside her husband at a dinner and glorified grovel-fest with tech executives last week. (Our Brian Barrett described the event as “a bit like thanking the school bully for setting the tone such that you can give him your lunch money.”) Earlier in the day, at an event for her education-themed AI task force—which many of the dinner invitees’ companies are supporting—she talked about the rise of the machines and how “English is a new coding language for many.” In a totally not ominous way, she declared, “The robots are here. Our future is no longer science fiction.”
When calling around to my Trumpworld sources following the dinner, it became clear that nobody seems to know what the details of this AI education initiative will entail. Further, with the exceptions of someone in the room for the dinner and a well-connected source in Trumpworld who works in the AI space, everyone else followed standard self-preservation procedures meant to help them last in the president’s orbit.
One White House source simply responded with a stand-alone question mark when I texted them asking what they knew about the first lady’s new AI portfolio. Others told me, in so many words, that they weren’t willing to touch anything involving the first lady with a 10-foot pole—a recurring theme in Trumpworld going back to the president’s first campaign and previous term in office.
Hocus FLOTUS
In at least some corners of the AI industry, which enjoys increasingly chummy relations with the White House, Melania’s reported desire to become, as the New York Post put it, “the first lady of technology” appears to be welcome news.
“It’s really important,” an AI executive familiar with the planning and who has ties in Trumpworld tells me, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations. “I think by seeing Melania Trump, the first lady, take an interest in this, you really see her focus on the academics and the education and how every student … could have a tutor and that becomes possible with AI at a low cost.”