The US Preparing A Ban On The Import Of Robots
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The Trump administration has announced plans to ban the import of new Chinese robots and electronic devices to protect American artificial intelligence development from national security threats and bring key industries back to the country.
The FCC assured that this measure is not directed against any specific country, but it will have a significant impact on China, which is ramping up its efforts to produce humanoid robots. China is also home to leading global inverter manufacturers: Sungrow and the already blacklisted Huawei—their equipment is used with solar panels and other renewable energy systems. The reason for this drastic measure is cited as “unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or the safety of the United States.”
The agency defines “advanced robotic devices” as a machine capable of “movement, obstacle avoidance, navigation, or ground movement,” equipped with a sensor to sense its surroundings, and a chip for network connectivity. It must weigh more than 2 kg, including a docking station, if any. This definition also includes robotic vacuum cleaners.
Hard-liners on China fear that robots could spy on key US industries, extract and send data to China, and disrupt critical systems.
