Journalist takes brutal dig at Melania Trump over latest ‘Be Best’ initiative.
Melania Trump is mostly staying out of the limelight during her husband’s second term as president. Unlike before, the First Lady doesn’t seem to be engaging in the typical duties associated with her role, although she is involved in several initiatives that are important to her, including the Be Best campaign, which addresses contemporary issues affecting children.
Recently, Melania attended an AI event at the White House, expressing her desire to assist American children in understanding AI and discussing how to approach it responsibly. However, not everyone was enthusiastic about her remarks.
Arwa Mahdawi, a columnist for The Guardian, sharply criticized the First Lady, suggesting that Melania is primarily self-interested.
When Melania and Donald Trump returned to the White House, she opted for a different approach to her role as First Lady. She has chosen to remain out of the public eye, and her apparent effort to distance herself from the Oval Office led to speculation about her well-being.
Despite not fitting the mold of a conventional First Lady, Melania remains engaged in her responsibilities. Her Be Best initiative, for instance, continues to be active, having been launched during her initial term.
According to its website, the campaign’s mission is “to focus on some of the major issues facing children today, with the goal of encouraging children to BE BEST in their individual paths, while also teaching them the importance of social, emotional, and physical health. BE BEST will concentrate on three main pillars: well-being, online safety, and opioid abuse.”
Melania makes rare appearance wanting to help children use AI
Last week, Melania made a rare appearance to support her Be Best initiative. On Thursday, September 4, she led a meeting of the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education, where she talked about how parents can collaborate with their children to utilize AI.
“The robots are here. Our future is no longer science fiction,” Melania stated. “As leaders and parents, we must oversee the responsible development of AI. During this early phase, it is our responsibility to nurture AI as we would our own children: empowering, yet with careful supervision.
“We are experiencing a moment of wonder,” Melania concluded. “And it is our duty to prepare the children of America.”
While it is commendable to prepare children for a new era of technology and to raise awareness about its risks, not everyone was happy with Melania’s participation in the White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education meeting.
Just a day after Melania’s appearance, The Guardian’s US columnist Arwa Mahdawi published a lengthy article about the first lady, suggesting that Melania might have other motives regarding AI that did not prioritize the children at all.
Mahdawi noted that Melania, who she claimed read “from a script encased in a very analogue binder,” may “not be the most suitable person to help manage AI’s growth responsibly and protect children from potential dangers posed by the technology.” Additionally, the journalist made a harsh critique not only of Melania but also of her husband, arguing that the entire situation was hypocritical.
Journalist takes brutal dig at Melania and Donald over AI speech
“However, if she is truly passionate about this work, I recommend that she cease organizing taskforces focused on integrating AI into childhood education. Instead, she should simply ask her husband to refrain from undermining public education. For instance, the Trump administration is currently trying to cut funding for Head Start, a federally supported early childhood program aimed at low-income families, and has also cancelled a grant program that has traditionally supported educational initiatives for children, such as Sesame Street,” Mahdawi elaborated.
She wrapped up her thoughts by referencing Geoffrey Hinton, famously known as the “godfather of AI,” who stated on Friday in the Financial Times that AI “will enrich a select few while impoverishing the majority.”
Mahdawi concluded: “I suspect this is exactly why Melania Trump and the group of billionaires and tech leaders surrounding her at the White House are so enthusiastic about it.”
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