On Wednesday, Gavin Newsom pushed back against Melania Trump’s vision of AI-driven robot teachers after a humanoid machine took the spotlight at a White House education summit. The robot, created by Figure AI, drew attention as it appeared on stage alongside Trump during the Fostering the Future Together Initiative Global Summit.
Roughly 5-foot-8, the humanoid demonstrated its ability to walk, pivot, and speak directly to the audience. It greeted attendees in several languages and said, “Thank you, First Lady Melania Trump for inviting me,” before waving and leaving the stage.
…how about no. https://t.co/R3itCF4h00
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) March 25, 2026
The concept quickly of AI educators noted by Melania Trump, drew a sharp response from Gavin Newsom’s office, which reacted to footage of the moment on social media with a blunt reply: “…how about no.”
The summit which garnered the negative response by Gavin Newsom, gathered representatives from more than 40 countries to explore artificial intelligence and the future of education. In her keynote address, Melania Trump described a future where humanoid robots could take on teaching roles.
“Imagine a humanoid educator named Plato,” Melania Trump said. “Humanity’s entire corpus of information is available in the comfort of your home.” She added that such systems could offer highly individualized education experiences, describing the AI instructor as “always patient and always available,” capable of helping students build critical thinking and independent reasoning skills.
Gavin Newsom also shared another post, a meme, in which he took jabs at both Melania and Donald Trump. “The new Trump body double is looking a little paler than normal. Not so sure about this version,” he wrote in another post on X.
The new Trump body double is looking a little paler than normal. Not so sure about this version … pic.twitter.com/Abgvm2N0ke
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) March 25, 2026
On the second day of the Fostering the Future Together Summit, Melania Trump elaborated on AI’s use in education and how it can contribute to it.
“We are obligated to ensure that our children become the most technologically fluent and highly educated generation in the world. In doing so, the United States will secure long-term economic superiority. This will drive GDP expansion, attract global investment, and put our nation in control of arguably, the most important asset in the future – Intellectual Property,” Melania said addressing the guests at the event.
“Let’s inspire our children to build new platforms, create new industries, and optimize production across all sectors, from media and fashion to health and defense. Let’s Foster the Future Together,” she continued.
Listing AI’s contribution to the modern world, the First Lady said at the event, “This technology may reset the modern world order and rebalance power. Your children must be prepared to ascend within this framework. Our coalition can make this vision real by supporting concrete initiatives that equip young people with the skills they need – invest, expand access, and foster new opportunity.”
Speaking of ‘vision’, in a White House event earlier this month, the First Lady referred to herself as a “visionary” as she talked about her achievements in Women’s History Month speech.
“As a visionary, I know success is not born overnight, but rather take shape after a long and sometimes challenging process. Often alone at the top, I follow my passion, listen to my instinct, and always maintain a laser focus. In solitude, my creative mind dances, filling my imagination with originality,” Melania said during her White House speech at the event.
