The Trump administration is labeling new, foreign-made humanoid robots an unacceptable risk and banning their import into the U.S. The sanction extends to humanoid as well as quadruped devices, which are mostly manufactured in China.
The U.S. has long been competing with the Asian superpower in the development of robotics and artificial intelligence.
Reacting to the news of the ban, the Chinese embassy in Washington stated that Beijing opposes the “politicization” of trade issues and sanctions based on “unfounded pretexts.”
The ban does not prevent the sale or import of existing models previously authorised by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The ban comes after the FCC cited concerns that the use of foreign-made inverters could allow overseas firms to turn them off, steal data, facilitate remote access and surveillance by “foreign government actors, or be otherwise exploited through a cyberattack.”
Beijing said they will take all the necessary measures in response to the move and urged all countries to work together to develop AI “for the positive and for good.” Sending a message to Washington, China called on the U.S. to stop smearing Chinese companies and threatening them with sanctions.
