Adya / X/@FLOTUS
In a social media post commemorating the innovation of participants in the inaugural Presidential AI Challenge, First Lady Melania Trump spotlighted the artificial intelligence project of an Indian American student from Virginia.
In the video, the student Adya introduces her project, NAVI as “a friendly AI safety buddy” designed to help children stay safe online.
Also Read: Indian-American students among White House AI challenge winners
She said the project was inspired by the experience of a friend, Anita, who was subjected to severe cyberbullying that affected her mental health and caused her to stop attending school.
PRESIDENTIAL AI CHALLENGE:
— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) June 19, 2026
When we empower children with the freedom to think and explore, we spark a chain reaction of creativity and innovation that can uplift entire communities. pic.twitter.com/ezYhpUvHLh
“Navi turns a bullying moment into a digital citizenship lesson,” Adya says in the video, explaining that the AI-powered tool helps children respond to harmful online interactions while learning responsible online behavior.
Adya said schools can deploy Navi free of charge on older hardware, making it accessible to a wide range of students. “With Navi, we don't just protect kids, we empower them,” she says.
Sharing a video of the student explaining her project, Trump wrote, “When we empower children with the freedom to think and explore, we spark a chain reaction of creativity and innovation that can uplift entire communities.”
Adya was among more than 20,000 students who took part in the inaugural Presidential AI Challenge, which drew participants from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 49 Department of Defense Education Activity schools across 10 countries.
The challenge encourages students to use artificial intelligence to address real-world problems across sectors including healthcare, nutrition and public safety. Six national champion teams were recognized at the White House on June 9 during the first Presidential Artificial Intelligence Challenge National Champion Awards Ceremony.
During the event, Melania praised participants for applying emerging technologies to tackle practical challenges and encouraged them to continue pursuing innovation and learning opportunities in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
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