Melania Trump’s very robotic White House guest

Source Domain: www.cnn.com

The storied White House East Room has welcomed politicians, foreign dignitaries, war heroes, celebrities and elite athletes, but on Wednesday, it was the setting for an extremely robotic speech introducing first lady Melania Trump.

The speaker was an American-made humanoid robot.

“Thank you, first lady Melania Trump, for inviting me to the White House,” the female voice, which introduced itself as “Figure 3,” said, describing its prime speaking slot at Trump’s summit on AI education and safety for children as an “honor.”

It continued: “I am grateful to be part of this historic movement to empower children with technology and education.”

An audience of first spouses from across the globe and representatives of tech companies stood in silence, appearing stunned by the unexpected special guest and snapping photos. Taking in the scene, they were perhaps relieved it went off without any major technical difficulties.

The robot, made by AI robotics company Figure, walked tentatively through the room on its two “feet,” and concluded its remarks with welcomes in 11 different languages — with perfect pronunciation — before walking back down the Cross Hall.

The robot’s successful, if stiff, movement marked a major difference from a recent disaster at a Moscow tech summit, where a Russian-made humanoid robot unceremoniously stumbled and fell before a crowd. Wednesday’s robotic appearance underscored the speed with which artificial intelligence is evolving, something Trump was seeking to highlight as she convened a group of fellow first spouses to discuss ways to protect but also educate children amid the rapidly changing technology.

“Figure 3,” the first lady said, smiling. “It’s fair to state: you are my first American-made humanoid guest in…

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