First Lady Melania Trump was left on mute. On Friday, the First Lady was slated to appear at a summit sponsored by Zoom to help children learn about artificial intelligence. The summit would be conducted over Zoom. When the programming beamed into the White House, the First Lady started speaking from a podium in the Diplomatic Reception Room. The only problem, however, was that there was no volume.
Audio Malfunction During the Opening Moments
For 32 seconds after she was introduced, what she said wasn’t audible. The volume started working as she started a sentence, making the blunder less noticeable. ‘We are living in the age of imagination. The age of imagination is a new era powered by artificial intelligence, where one’s curiosity can be satisfied almost magically in seconds,’ she said once the sound was working. The First Lady named several ways young people could utilize AI.
Focus on Technology-Related Challenges as First Lady
‘Are you ready to produce your own movie? Do you want to build the next dress to impress empire? Have you ever wondered how to become the next master artist? Create your own song?’ she mused. While the volume was working, the camera periodically didn’t have the First Lady fully in the shot. During President Donald Trump’s second term thus far, the First Lady has tackled thorny issues dealing with tech.
Last year, she lobbied for passage of the Take It Down Act, which received bipartisan support, and moved to protect children from sexually explicit deep fakes. She’s spoken out about establishing guardrails for AI to protect children. Her remarks at the Zoom-branded event focused more on AI’s possibilities. ‘For the first time in history, the young girl dreaming of becoming a fashion designer and the young boy who wants to stand up his cool animated superhero series can do so from their own home,’ she said.
‘Artificial intelligence provides all the tools needed to implement your creative vision today,’ she continued. ‘You can develop movie characters, scripts, fashion, music, art, the entire ecosystem, all with AI.’ She told young people to ‘harness your imagination.’ ‘The most powerful skill is knowing what to ask,’ the First Lady suggested. After her brief speech wrapped up, the East Wing sent out a full transcript of her remarks. What was cut off was simply her thanking the leadership of Zoom.
