An Open Letter on America’s AI Moment
- Rich Washburn
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
This week, something historic happened.
Rivals sat shoulder to shoulder. Billions were pledged. Apple at $600B. Microsoft at $80B in data centers. Google pledging $1B to education and jobs. Industry, capital, intellect, and will all pulled together in one room.
That table will be remembered for centuries. It will sit in a museum. Historians will point to it as the moment humanity began its species upgrade. Not the only move that will define this presidency, but one of them. A move that secures your place in history alongside the Founders.
And Madam First Lady — your AI education initiative makes this real. It ensures this isn’t just about silicon and servers, but about sovereignty.
Cognitive sovereignty. The freedom of thought that made America what it is.
When America turns 250 in 2026, we will celebrate fireworks. But the real fire is thought. The republic only works if the people inside it think. AI is the tool that can multiply that capacity — or diminish it if we fail to use it well.
That’s why I want to offer something bold: a national AI education program bigger than the GI Bill. A program that reaches every American — every student, every teacher, every parent, every worker. A program that makes AI literacy as fundamental as reading and math.
Because just like the internet, everyone will need to know AI. But this time it’s more urgent. Faster. More consequential. We don’t have decades to figure it out. We need to start now.
Imagine walking into 2026 with an America where five-year-olds grow up with AI tutors, where teachers use AI to personalize and multiply their reach, where workers from factories to boardrooms use AI safely and effectively, and where parents understand how to guide their kids in this new world. That is how we mark America’s 250th — not just with fireworks, but with Founders 2.0.
What I’ve Seen
I’m not a billionaire CEO. I’m not running a lab. I’m just a scrappy, AI-enabled American who’s been living this for four years straight, drinking from the firehose, helping others use it in real classrooms, real boardrooms, and even with the Navy.
In classrooms: I worked with Teresa, a math teacher, and Bob, a financial literacy instructor. AI graded, tutored, and personalized learning for their students. Teresa said, “I’ve always wanted to give this level of feedback, but there’s just not enough time in the day.” Bob said, “It felt like every student had their own tutor.” That’s why I built a free resource hub for teachers, parents, and students: richwashburn.com/abc.
In the fleet: I spoke at the Navy League of Ft. Lauderdale. Out of it came a simulation of nuclear-powered vessels doubling as floating AI data centers. Months later, I got the call: those ideas had made their way into conversations at the Navy War College. Not because I’m a defense contractor — but because the vision landed.
This isn’t theory. I’ve seen what happens when AI is put to work, in the hands of people who didn’t think they could use it. The results are staggering.
I don’t need to be at the head of the table. But I do want to be in the room. A seat, a voice, or even just the guy bringing the water. Because I believe in this moment — maybe more than anyone else I know.
This is America’s chance to lead not just in compute, but in cognition. To build infrastructure, yes, but also identity. To secure sovereignty of thought at a scale the Founders themselves would have recognized.
Mr. President, Madam First Lady — you have set the table. You have already done what no one else could. If I can help in any capacity — in education, in defense, in business, or in building this national AI literacy program — I would be honored.
Because this isn’t just America’s moment. It’s humanity’s. And I absolutely want to be in on it.
Respectfully,
Rich Washburn