Kamal Ghorui
US lawmakers may be planning to ban another Chinese product, and this time, it could be robots. According to a report by the new agency Reuters, two US lawmakers are planning to introduce a bill that would restrict the use of Chinese-made robots, . The report claims that Senators Tom Cotton and Chuck Schumer have cited national security concerns behind their plan to introduce legislation that would bar US government agencies from purchasing or operating such systems. The proposed American Security Robotics Act would also prohibit the use of federal funds for unmanned ground vehicles developed by companies from countries considered adversaries, including China.The move follows a series of actions by US authorities targeting Chinese technology products. Earlier this week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added foreign-made consumer routers to its Covered List over security concerns, while also taking steps recently to restrict imports of Chinese drones.However, if the bill, which hasn’t been proposed yet, passes in the future, it will be good news for Elon Musk‘s Tesla as Chinese firms continue to compete with US companies in developing humanoid robots designed to handle tasks such as manufacturing work and household chores. Companies including Agibot and Unitree are also preparing to list shares in China this year, as interest in their robotics products grows.
What US lawmakers said about proposing a bill to ban Chinese robots from government agencies
In statements to Reuters, the lawmakers said such robots could pose a national security risk, arguing they may be used to collect data and send it back to China or be controlled remotely from there. Last year, a group of lawmakers also urged the Pentagon to add Unitree to a list of firms linked to China’s military.“Robots made by Communist China threaten Arkansans’ privacy and our national security,” Tom Cotton told Reuters. Chuck Schumer added that Chinese companies backed by the Chinese Communist Party “are running their standard playbook – this time in robotics – trying to flood the U.S. market with their technology, which presents real security risks and threats to Americans’ privacy and American research and industry.”The proposed bill would include exemptions allowing the US military and law enforcement agencies to study Chinese robots, provided that the systems cannot send or receive data to or from China.In the US House of Representatives, Elise Stefanik is expected to introduce a companion bill to the Senate proposal.“We must continue to promote and propel America’s robotics superiority while safeguarding our privacy and national security from adversaries,” Stefanik said in a statement to Reuters.
