Washington, United States (Enmaeya News) — Melania Trump hosted a White House meeting Thursday with top tech leaders to launch the “Presidential AI Challenge,” a program aimed at bringing artificial intelligence into U.S. schools. The initiative is part of a broader push to integrate AI into K-12 education and prepare students for a tech-driven future.

The event included Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Michael Kratsios of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and David Sacks, the White House’s cryptocurrency and AI czar. Tech CEOs in attendance included Google’s Sundar Pichai and IBM’s Arvind Krishna. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was present but did not speak.

Trump praised modern technology, highlighting self-driving cars, surgical robots, and military drones. “The robots are here. Our future is no longer science fiction,” she said.

The first lady’s program invites K-12 educators and students to engage with AI, while President Donald Trump’s broader AI initiative aims to secure U.S. leadership in the technology.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the Department of Education plans to integrate AI into school curriculums, urging educators to “embrace” the technology.

Tech leaders praised the program. Pichai said Google wants every student to “learn anything in the world,” while Krishna pledged to teach AI skills to 2 million U.S. workers.

Code.org president Cameron Wilson said his company aims to reach 25 million learners. The White House reported 135 pledges from companies supporting AI education, including Microsoft and Amazon.

The day ended with a Rose Garden dinner attended by tech leaders including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Elon Musk was invited but did not attend. The event highlighted the White House’s efforts to engage the tech industry in promoting AI education.