Melania isn’t clear on how her initiative will help protect children against the dangers of AI, or prepare them to work in a world shaped by technology. My source tells me that the involvement of the first lady is likely to result in “big commitments from a bunch of these companies” Beyond the multi-billion dollar investment figures that they have already promised to the Trump Administration.
She is starting to play the lead role of a Trumpworld AI group that has been touring since the dawning of the Trump Administration.
David Sacks has been named the Administration’s AI adviser and Crypto Czar. Michael Kratsios, a Thiel Capital alumni who runs the Office of Science and Technology Policy. The federal AI policy has seen a number of executive orders, which range from directives to agencies to eliminate regulations, to vaguer ones such as the prevention of preventing “woke AI” The federal government is preventing the spread of AI. The administration has also released its AI action plan which includes policy measures under three pillars. These include accelerating innovation through the removal of regulatory barriers, creating an infrastructure to dominate AI with data centers, semiconductor manufacturing and promotion of AI standards worldwide in order to reduce dependence upon foreign technology (read, Chinese).
Melania at the table
White House didn’t respond to WIRED questions about the AI initiative of the first lady, her views on the negative aspects she can see with this technology (beyond deepfakes), and if the US ought to prioritize eco-friendly construction. Beckman did not respond to a comment request.
One source in attendance at the AI Dinner said Melania seemed to get along with tech executives even if they didn’t interact much. This source noted that Melania seemed to be listening attentively to Gerelyn Gil-Soto who is the girlfriend of Google cofounder Sergey Brin.
“Melania, I could tell, was really paying attention when [Gilbert-Soto] was talking,” According to my source, the first lady is in that room. “smiling and way more engaged than when the other tech CEOs were speaking, praising Trump.” Gilbert-Soto has not responded to a comment request sent by Google representatives.
The AI industry is delighted that the First Lady’s only return to public life was in support of its products.
There were several people in that room. “some of the most powerful businesspeople in the world who account for a very large percentage of the public market cap of technology and innovation,” The AI industry is a source of information in Trumpworld.
“And you have the first lady sitting right next to the president in a room saying, ‘I want to insert myself and be involved in this,'” The executive continues. “And she really hasn’t been involved in much … So now for her to step out and insert herself, I think it’s fairly significant.”
This edition includes Jake Lahut’s Inner Loop newsletter. Read previous newsletters here.
