Class, listen up! Miss Figure 03 is covering important material.
When the White House’s honorary guest is a robot, it’s hard not to feel odd, dystopian vibes.
In October 2025, Figure released Figure 03, its most advanced humanoid robot yet. Powered by its artificial intelligence (AI) system, Helix, the robot can see, understand, and act in real time, allowing it to perform human-like tasks with impressive precision.
One of the main differences between Figure 03 and the previous robots designed by Figure is that this one is designed for at-home use. This means it’s lighter, covered in soft materials for safety, and can easily get around most common spaces. With all these improvements, people are already wondering what more AI can accomplish in soft materials.
Figure 03 At The White House
I never imagined a humanoid robot would one day stand in the White House, introduce itself, and dominate online discourse. That’s what happened at the White House Summit, where Melania Trump stood beside Figure 03, a humanoid robot. Figure 03 delivered a speech and expressed their gratitude for being involved in an effort to inspire kids to use technology.
At the conference, Melania posed a question to attendees, asking them to consider a hypothetical AI-based tutor named Plato. Plato would be a robot based on a human, able to teach every subject in a classroom setting instantaneously and from anywhere in the world.
Melania stated that with Plato, the entirety of humanity’s knowledge base could be at the attendees’ fingertips in their own homes. Plato would be designed to tailor lessons to each student’s needs.
She said Plato would never get tired of teaching, would always be available, and would allow parents and children to spend less time on homework and more time on things they enjoy, such as having fun and socializing.
At face value, the model appears to be an attractive option: efficient, tailored to individual needs, and available everywhere. The reality, however, is far from simple. AI may provide access to vast amounts of information, but it will never replace the human aspect of education (at least I hope not).
I can’t imagine what will happen if AI is leading classrooms or homeschooling young students. When I think of my childhood, I think about elementary school parachutes, paper fortune tellers, Polar Express Day, and the overwhelming joy of pizza parties.
I remember accidentally calling my elementary school teachers “mom” when I was younger, and crying when the school year was over. I don’t think I could’ve developed this connection with a robot, nor do I think it would be healthy, either.
The idea that there will come a point when we may see our jobs as teachers taken over by machines has led many to ask what we will do if robots can mimic everything we can do.
The Illusion of ‘Human AI’
Tech CEOs at companies such as Meta, OpenAI, and Anthropic have a strategy for creating AI with a human “personality.” They assign names to their chatbots, give them different voice inflections, and add other characteristics to make the conversations appear natural.
However, this wasn’t done by accident. This has been created strategically. Humans naturally create emotional connections to objects that possess emotion. As such, AI developers leverage this human trait to develop systems that simulate thought and emotion through pattern recognition.
In schools, where students develop critical thinking skills, there could be significant implications when they perceive AI as an authoritative figure rather than question its validity.
I just hope there isn’t a day when AI gets so out of hand in the classroom that they end up with names that even resemble humans.
Social Media, Memes, and the Internet
The reaction on social media was explosive after Melanie unveiled “Plato.” Memes comparing Melania with Figure 03 were abundant; however, the reactions that followed were sharply divided. Those who support homeschooling welcomed the idea of using an AI teacher in place of a traditional school setting.
An AI teacher is programmable; therefore, it can easily be programmed to teach the child the narrative the coder chooses. In effect, this would turn education into an extension of values rather than a quest for truth.
My social studies teachers in school always taught me different perspectives. In a world where even the information we learn can be programmed, how are future generations even able to think their own thoughts?
Others, however, were deeply uncomfortable. Critics across the political spectrum pushed back, arguing that replacing teachers with machines is “anti-human at worst.” Even within conservative circles, some rejected the idea outright, showing that skepticism about AI in education is not limited to one ideology.
Teachers are educators, mentors, counselors, and examples for their students. They identify with students who are having difficulty with a particular subject, celebrate small accomplishments, and support their students during social issues, emotional issues, and academic difficulties.
The future of education in America has never been so uncertain. In the last few months, it seems as though everything we thought was set in stone is now open to change. Just five years ago, ChatGPT wasn’t even released yet.
Today, entire industries and even an increasing number of classrooms are being rebuilt in real-time. That said, there are still people who believe that teaching should remain a person-to-person activity. In fact, most educators would agree with that assessment.
Some see great potential for using AI tools in their classrooms; others see nothing but potential problems. Some say that replacing teachers with machines is “just plain anti-human,” and others reject the idea outright.
This debate isn’t happening in isolation from other current issues surrounding education. As you may know, educational technology is coming under fire across the country. Many lawmakers, along with educators themselves, are beginning to question whether the reliance on screens in classrooms is working or whether it needs to be changed.
The debates continue, technology advances, and people keep sharing their opinions online. Right now, the only thing that feels certain is that life is changing constantly.
It’s hard for me to even imagine what the world will look like in three or four years, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed that teachers won’t be outsourced any time soon.
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