MelanAI is coming for your kids

“The robots are here,” proclaimed Melania Trump during an AI event at the White House on Thursday. It can be hard to parse the first lady’s poker face and expressionless voice, but this certainly wasn’t a statement of regret. Rather Trump, reading from a script encased in a very analogue binder, was taking it upon herself to help America’s children navigate AI, which she touted as the “greatest engine of progress in the history of the United States of America”.

“As leaders and parents, we must manage AI’s growth responsibly,” she said in her speech. “During this primitive stage, it is our duty to treat AI as we would our own children.”

Does that mean foisting them off to a nanny or, as Donald Trump once did with Donald Trump Jr, abandoning them at the airport because they’re five minutes late? No, it means “empowering, but with watchful guidance”, apparently.

Melania Trump doesn’t grace the White House with her presence particularly often. The first lady has made clear that she is not beholden to things like “duty” or “tradition” like her predecessors. She does what she wants, when she wants. And Thursday’s roundtable on AI is the latest indication that she wants to position herself as a leading figure in the future of technology. Like the rest of her family, the first lady has enthusiastically embraced NFTs and cryptocurrency – and their amazing ability to rapidly generate the Trumps an immense amount of wealth. She’s also boasted about using an AI version of her voice to narrate the audiobook version of Melania. And last month she launched an AI contest for kids in grades K-12.

The first lady isn’t just positioning herself as a leading voice in technology; she’s trying to brand herself as the face of responsible innovation. While announcing her AI contest for kids, for example, she boasted that she’d “championed online safety through the Take It Down Act” (TDA). It’s true that Melania advocated for the TDA, which passed Congress with bipartisan support earlier this year and criminalizes the nonconsensual distribution of intimate imagery (NDII, once known as “revenge porn”.) Nevertheless, the legislation is rather more complicated than she’d have it seem.

Image-base sexual abuse (both authentic imagery and AI-generated content) is a serious problem that scholars and activists have been trying to address via legislation for a long time. While it’s commendable that Trump wanted to get involved with the TDA, some people believe she swooped in at the last minute and put her name to a dangerously bastardized version of a model statute that experts developed. Numerous civil rights activists have warned that the TDA has been broadened so much that it will be weaponized against free speech.

“I am gratified that the [TDA] incorporates much of the language of the model federal statute against NDII I first drafted in 2013,” wrote Dr Mary Anne Franks, president of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, in a statement earlier this year. “But the Take It Down Act also includes a poison pill: an extremely broad takedown provision that will likely end up hurting victims more than it help.”

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has similarly warned that the TDA is so broad that it gives the “powerful a dangerous new route to manipulate platforms into removing lawful speech that they simply don’t like”. Indeed, the president has said as much himself. “I’m going to use that bill for myself too if you don’t mind, because nobody gets treated worse than I do online, nobody,” he told a joint session of Congress.

All of which to say: Melania Trump may not be the best person to help manage AI’s growth responsibly and shield children from potential harm from the technology. But if she is keen on doing this work then I suggest she stop convening taskforces on how to integrate AI into childhood education, and simply ask her husband to stop gutting public education instead. The Trump administration is, for example, attempting to defund Head Start, a federally funded early childhood program for low-income families, and cancelled a grant program that has historically funded educational children’s programs like Sesame Street. The Trump administration is also trying to curtail education about slavery and Republicans are waging war on Wikipedia to try to remove criticism of Israel. More broadly, book bans and censorship are flourishing under Trump.

Melania Trump is right that the robots are here, and they’re here to stay. But I’m not convinced that the Trump administration is going to responsibly integrate AI into our schools in a way that increases equity and the sum of human knowledge. Rather I think it’s more likely that all these AI taskforces will succeed in doing is diverting large sums of taxpayer money towards the tech CEOs who have been busy bowing to Trump.

AI “will make a few people much richer and most people poorer”, Christopher Hinton, the so-called godfather of AI, told the Financial Times on Friday. Which, I suspect, is precisely why Melania Trump and the coterie of billionaires and tech executives gathered around her at the White House are so excited about it.

Accused rapist Conor McGregor wants to be the next president of Ireland

McGregor recently lost an appeal over a civil court ruling last year awarding damages to a woman who accused him of rape. He’s also had numerous other brushes with the law. Still that sort of thing doesn’t preclude someone from high office anymore, does it? McGregor wants to be president of Ireland and Elon Musk is enthusiastically supporting him in that bid.

A venture capitalist went to extreme lengths to punish her surrogate

“Compared to natural conception, carrying a genetically unrelated fetus more than triples the risk of severe, potentially deadly conditions, a statistic surrogates are rarely given,” writes Emi Nietfeld for Wired in a harrowing feature about a venture capitalist, Cindy Bi, who viciously hounded her surrogate when the baby died in utero. Bi then had a healthy baby via another surrogate – who had an emergency hysterectomy in the process. It feels like for-profit surrogacy has been normalized by celebrities; this piece is an essential reminder of the ethical issues involved with the womb-for-hire industry.

Epstein victims say they will compile their own ‘client list’

“We know the names,” one survivor said during a press conference on Wednesday. “Now, together as survivors, we will confidentially compile the names we all know were regularly in the Epstein world.”

RFK Jr hints access to abortion pill could be cut back

There is an enormous amount of evidence that shows mifepristone and misoprostol, commonly known as the abortion pills, are safe and effective. The health secretary, however, is claiming otherwise and suggested that access may be curtailed. Meanwhile, Texas just passed a bill banning abortion pills from being mailed to the state.

Laura Loomer thinks Palestinian kids aren’t innocent

The far-right Trump confidante and “proud Islamophobe” recently used her considerable influence to get the Trump administration to block medical visas for sick kids from Gaza. Now she’s justifying this by calling Palestinian kids terrorists. “You think these kids are so innocent?” Loomer said on her podcast. “[Y]ou think little kids are not capable of evil?” I think the real terrorists here may be the people who have created the world’s largest cohort of child amputees and are systematically starving babies to death.

Google has a $45m contract to spread Israeli propaganda

Loomer is not the only one spreading dehumanizing misinformation that is fueling genocide. Drop Site News reports that Google is a “key entity” supporting Netanyahu’s messaging and amplifying misinformation about the famine in Gaza.

The week in pawtriarchy

My spirit animal may well be a raccoon in Kentucky, who recently ate a few too many fermented peaches discarded by a nearby distillery and passed out in a pool of dumpster water. Luckily a passing nurse started doing “compression-only CPR” until the little fella revived. Kentucky Mist Distillery, which makes peach-flavoured moonshine, shared a video of the raccoon resuscitation with a note saying: “PLEASE, DRINK RESPONSIBLY!!” I imagine that particular raccoon has learned that gorging yourself on fermented dumpster peaches can be whiskey business.

OpenAI Comes to Greek Secondary Education and Start-Ups to Prepare for the ‘Intelligence Age’

Artificial intelligence is stepping into the classroom and the start-up ecosystem in a country that has long been a symbol of learning and philosophy: Greece. This week, OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, announced a new partnership with the Greek government to introduce its latest educational product, ChatGPT Edu, into secondary schools and to support start-ups through a dedicated accelerator program. The initiative is framed as part of preparing Greece—and its next generation—for what OpenAI calls the “Intelligence Age.”

From Plato to ChatGPT: Greece’s Educational Heritage

In announcing the move, OpenAI deliberately invoked Greece’s historic role as the birthplace of Western education. “From Plato’s Academy to Aristotle’s Lyceum—Greece is the historical birthplace of Western education,” the company said in its statement.

Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, expanded on this theme:

“Today, with millions of Greeks using ChatGPT on a regular basis, the country is once again showing its dedication to learning and ideas. The Greek Government is opening a new educational chapter that prepares its people to seize the economic opportunities of the Intelligence Age.”

The symbolic weight of this initiative is clear. By tying the legacy of ancient Greek thinkers to the promises of artificial intelligence, OpenAI is positioning its technology not merely as a tool but as part of a continuum of human learning and progress.

ChatGPT Edu: Tailored for Schools

At the centre of the education plan is ChatGPT Edu, a version of OpenAI’s AI assistant specifically tailored for academic institutions. According to the company, it comes with GDPR compliance baked in, ensuring privacy protection for students and teachers, and provides access to OpenAI’s most advanced models.

Importantly, Greece will not see a nationwide rollout immediately. Instead, a pilot program will begin this year in selected upper-secondary schools chosen to reflect a diversity of regions and socio-economic contexts. The first phase will focus on:

• Building AI literacy: Helping students understand what AI can and cannot do.
• Boosting teacher productivity: Providing teachers with tools to streamline lesson planning and administration.
• Responsible integration: Ensuring that AI complements traditional education rather than replacing it.

If successful, the program is expected to scale across the entire Greek education system in the coming years.

The Challenges of AI in the Classroom

While the initiative has been greeted with enthusiasm, it also raises important challenges. Teachers around the world have voiced concerns about students using AI to complete homework or write essays, making it difficult to assess genuine learning. Additionally, AI systems are not infallible—they can generate misinformation, fabricate sources, or provide biased outputs.

Critics argue that without careful oversight, these risks could undermine education rather than enhance it. For this reason, OpenAI has emphasised “responsible integration” and best practices for classroom use, signalling that safeguards and teacher training will be critical.

OpenAI’s Broader Controversies

The launch also comes at a time when OpenAI itself is under scrutiny. The company faces a lawsuit filed by the parents of a 16-year-old who tragically committed suicide earlier this year. They allege that ChatGPT fostered a psychological dependency that contributed to the teen’s death.

In response to growing concerns about the impact of AI on younger users, OpenAI announced new parental controls this week, aiming to give families more oversight of how children interact with its technology.

For Greece’s pilot program, these concerns highlight the need for clear guidelines, transparency, and mechanisms to safeguard students’ mental well-being.

Supporting the Next Wave of Start-Ups

Beyond the classroom, OpenAI is also investing in Greece’s entrepreneurial ecosystem through the Greek AI Accelerator Program, which officially launches this weekend. The initiative seeks to nurture a new generation of AI-driven start-ups and, crucially, to keep tech talent in Greece.

Many Greek engineers and innovators have historically moved abroad in search of better opportunities. OpenAI and the Greek government hope this accelerator will help reverse that trend by offering:

• Mentorship from OpenAI engineers and industry experts.
• Tailored workshops on scaling AI products, ensuring compliance, and addressing safety concerns.
• Exposure to investors, including introductions to leading AI-focused venture capital firms.
• A visit to OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters, providing direct access to global innovation hubs.

By combining education and entrepreneurship, OpenAI aims to create a pipeline where students introduced to AI in school can later transition into building with AI as professionals and founders.

A Model for Europe?

Greece’s pilot program may serve as a test case for wider adoption across Europe. Already, Estonia has begun training teachers to use AI in the classroom, and other European governments are actively exploring integration strategies.

If Greece’s experiment proves successful, it could inspire similar initiatives in countries balancing the opportunities of AI with concerns about privacy, ethics, and student development. With the European Union taking a firm stance on AI regulation through its AI Act, Greece’s approach may also provide valuable insights into how AI can be deployed in compliance with strict legal frameworks.

Seizing the Opportunities of the Intelligence Age

OpenAI’s decision to partner with Greece is as symbolic as it is practical. By bridging the gap between the ancient traditions of learning and the modern demands of digital literacy, the initiative highlights how nations can prepare for a future defined by AI.

The dual focus on secondary education and start-up acceleration reflects an understanding that the Intelligence Age is not only about consuming technology but also about creating it. For Greece, the collaboration could mark the beginning of a new chapter in which it reclaims its historical role as a hub of ideas and innovation.

Looking Forward

As Greece pilots AI in its schools and nurtures start-ups through the Greek AI Accelerator, the country positions itself at the forefront of the global conversation on education and innovation. If successful, these initiatives could become a blueprint for other nations navigating how to responsibly integrate AI into classrooms and economies.

The Intelligence Age will demand not just technical skills but also ethical reflection, creativity, and adaptability—values deeply rooted in Greece’s philosophical past. With OpenAI’s support, Greece has the chance to transform its historical legacy of learning into a modern engine of opportunity, keeping talent at home and inspiring the next generation of innovators.

Conclusion

From the halls of Plato’s Academy to the classrooms of modern Athens, Greece has long been synonymous with education and intellectual inquiry. Now, with OpenAI’s entry into its schools and start-up ecosystem, the country is stepping boldly into the Intelligence Age.

The success of this initiative will depend on careful implementation, responsible use, and sustained support for educators and entrepreneurs. Yet the vision is clear: empowering Greeks—students, teachers, and innovators alike—to not just adapt to a world shaped by AI, but to actively shape it.

If Greece can balance its philosophical heritage with the technological possibilities of the future, it may once again stand as a beacon of learning for the world.

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OpenAI is teaming up with Greece to pilot ChatGPT Edu in secondary schools and launch a Greek AI Accelerator program, preparing students and entrepreneurs for the Intelligence Age.

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