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First Lady Melania Trump spoke at the White House on Tuesday to honor the winners of the Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge, a group of six student National Champion Teams.
“It is wonderful to see this very impressive group of innovators at the White House,” the First Lady said in her opening remarks. “I’m proud that you represent the best of America. You are our future.”
Mrs. Trump announced the challenge last summer, as part of her broader push to safely and ethically embrace the innovative possibilities that artificial intelligence offers.
As reported by RSBN, the championship – which challenged students to utilize and develop new and helpful AI solutions to human problems – was open to students and classrooms grades K-12, across all school platforms, such as charter, homeschool, public, or private schools.
In her remarks on Tuesday, Mrs. Trump revealed that over 20,000 students participated in the challenge across all 50 states, including D.C., Puerto Rico, and 49 Department of War schools spanning 10 countries.
“Today is about opening doors,” she 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.”
According to the Office of the First Lady, the six teams honored at the White House this week included two teams from each track: Elementary, Middle School, and High School.
Presidential Science and Technology Advisor Michael Kratsios also spoke at the awards ceremony.
“The purpose of this national competition was simple — to bring young Americans from across the country together in using AI tools to improve the lives of their communities…,” he said. “This challenge has empowered every kind of young American, even the ones who aren’t focused on science and mathematics, to design incredible technological projects, through the creative use of artificial intelligence.”
He said that the 20,000 students involved in this challenge produced more than 2,500 projects.
The Presidential AI Challenge was sparked when President Donald Trump initially signed an executive order in April 2025, “Advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Education for American Youth.” The order directed the establishment of the challenge as a tool to grow and develop AI-based training and skills in American youth and thereby keep the U.S. at the forefront of this cutting-edge technology.