First lady Melania Trump kicked off the inaugural meeting of her “Fostering the Future” coalition Tuesday by challenging leaders to leverage artificial intelligence to help children while preventing any harm from emerging technologies.
Mrs. Trump addressed first spouses and leaders in government and technology at the start of a two-day working session of the Fostering the Future Together Global Coalition Summit.
“This room is filled with extraordinary human capital,” Mrs. Trump said at the State Department. “Leaders — harness it to elevate your children, to empower your people and to accelerate your economies.”
Mrs. Trump launched the Fostering the Future Together initiative in September at the U.N. General Assembly. Its goal is to improve children’s lives through education and technology, harnessing artificial intelligence while mitigating potential risks tied to AI.
“Our coalition’s mission is to empower children by providing greater access to technology and education,” Mrs. Trump said.
Mrs. Trump has focused on the world’s children during her two tenures as first lady.
Her signature first-term initiative, “Be Best,” is aimed at combating cyberbullying. She revived it in Mr. Trump’s second term.
The first lady also pushed Congress to pass the “Take It Down Act,” which cracked down on persons who posted intimate images of others without consent.
Also recently, Mr. Trump has been promoting the first lady’s recent documentary, “Melania,” which follows Mrs. Trump in the days before the president’s second inauguration in January 2025.
The Fostering the Future session on Tuesday featured representatives from 45 nations.
Major technology companies such as OpenAI, Microsoft, xAI, Meta, Palantir and Google are participating.
The first working session focused on four topics: AI in classrooms; digital literacy and skills; promoting online safety; and using EdTech tools, which include software and other tech for classroom use.
Michael Kratsios, a science adviser to Mr. Trump, pointed to Mr. Trump’s recent decision to unveil a federal framework for developing AI technologies.
He said the administration wants to help children learn about AI at age-appropriate steps through K-12 classrooms.
“Every student should learn basic foundational knowledge about AI,” Mr. Kratsios said. “What algorithms are, how machine learning works, what technology is good for and what [its] limitations are.”
Mrs. Trump encouraged members to hold regional meetings, conduct their own research and share their findings with other member nations.
She said Tuesday’s working session was “only the beginning.”
“This is a historic moment in time,” Mrs. Trump said. “Our key driver: To cultivate the skills young children need to be successful in this rapidly evolving world.”
