First lady Melania Trump awarded finalists of the first Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge on Tuesday at the White House, celebrating educators and students who used the developing technology to create projects addressing today’s issues.
“Today is about opening doors,” Trump said. “When new doors open, passions flow, courage blossoms, and dreams are realized. AI inspires. Use this chapter of your life to sail away with your dreams — to continue to build boldly, and importantly, to safeguard America’s leading position in the world of technology.”
The White House announced the competition in August 2025, inviting K-12 educators and students across the country to participate.
The competition challenged students to complete a project using an AI method or tool to address “community challenges.” As for educators, they were tasked with teaching or utilizing AI technologies in the classroom, according to the challenge’s website announcing the competition.
Winners were announced Monday, with two groups being awarded in each educational division: elementary, middle, and high school.
The winning projects ranged from a homework helper to a spatiotemporal AI framework for visually impaired navigation.
Trump opened the event by welcoming the participants and their families to the White House and congratulating them on their success.
As an advocate for artificial intelligence, Trump encouraged participants to continue using the technology, praising them for seeing “AI’s potential.”
“Keep using artificial intelligence as a muse — to open new pathways, and ultimately, to achieve personal growth and success,” Trump said.
Throughout the second Trump administration, the first lady has made artificial intelligence one of her core issues, championing various initiatives to encourage its use.
In March, Trump brought together spouses of world leaders across the globe for her inaugural Fostering the Future Together summit. She encouraged world leaders to strengthen children’s well-being through education and innovation, specifically promoting artificial intelligence as a resource to enhance learning.
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Michael Kratsios, the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, delivered remarks after the first lady and helped present awards to the participants.
Among the attendees were Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. Neither Cabinet official spoke at the event, but the first lady thanked them for supporting the initiative.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April 2025 that created a task force specializing in artificial intelligence to support educational and workforce development for America’s youth.
The task force’s goal was to increase interest and expertise in AI technology from an early age, so America can “maintain global dominance in this technological revolution,” according to the website.
The first lady echoed this sentiment in her remarks, saying AI will open “new possibilities.”
“AI’s transformative nature opens new possibilities,” she said. “AI can help us build a stronger community — making our publicly funded social programs more efficient and more effective. It allows us to deliver more personalized education and, in turn, will unlock growth in America’s economy.”
The idea behind the challenge was to equip students with the skills needed to thrive in the developing digital society and empower educators to “confidently guide” students with AI.
It also sought to connect students and educators with AI experts and provide them with resources to foster a greater understanding and access to the technology.
More than 20,000 students participated in the challenge across all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 49 War Department schools in 10 other countries, according to a White House press release.
The first lady continued to laud the technology, saying, “We are just at the beginning,” and pointed to its future impact on society.
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“Artificial intelligence gives your communities access to the largest amount of information ever recorded in humanity’s history,” Trump said. “This fundamental democratization of intellect will profoundly alter society: our industries, our social safety net, and even our open-mindedness toward cultural diversity.”
“Wisdom is tolerance, and change will be enhanced at hyper-speed,” she added.