3/26/2026
My Dear Friend & POTUS, DJT,
Did you meet Figure 3? If so, what did you think? Was it able to carry on a conversation with you? Can you help me understand why Melania is such a big fan?
I can see the entertainment value of a humanoid that can walk. Katie Rogers’ observed in the NYT that Fig 3“teeters gingerly” making me wonder if it’s ready for the kind wear & tear a robot working with kids is likely to endure.
Speaking of which, I find it deeply troubling that Melania is extolling robots as teachers. Children learn so much from mimicking their instructors & I don’t want a generation of people who emulate soulless robots.
Moreover, we have plenty of humans on this planet ready & willing to teach children. We do not need to replace them with machines. We need to pay them a living wage & ensure their working conditions enable them to do their jobs. Teaching is among the most gratifying & engrossing work humans can do. As I used to tell my undergraduates, it’s one of the few jobs that requires your head, heart & your soul. It never gets old! It can be an on-going source of fascination when a teacher consistently strives to improve their craft & adapt their techniques to the latest technology.
That brings us back to robots & AI. The best teachers are figuring out how to use these tools to their advantage so that their students become critical consumers who understand the benefits & dangers of these powerful aides.
I worry that Melania’s fascination with humanoids may come from her profound loneliness, especially after the passing of her mom. She said as much in her remarks at the Women’s History event when she acknowledged she is "often alone at the top.” I suspect, that like you, she has trouble trusting people & the language barrier doesn’t help either.
Please caution her that her new friend, Figure 3, will not bring her joy, will not fuel her passions & cannot see the God that she carries within. If she wants a true friend, tell her to give me a call.
In closing, please give a shout out to the people of Burma who on March 28 will be remembering the major quake that shook the Earth a year ago. More than 3,800 people died. It was the last thing they needed & yet, they endure. As I’ve mentioned if you put an end to EFO, at least the farmers in the Ayeyarwady Delta will have access to the fuel they need to harvest their rice.
LYLST,
