US bans foreign-made robots, China threatens to retaliate

 

The tiny little robot getting trapped under your couch while attempting to suck up balls of cat hair is now being banned from entering the US as a national security threat. The FCC issued a ban this week on new, foreign-made humanoid robots, quadrupeds (like those robot dogs), and a broad swath of bots that can recognize their surroundings—including robovacs and sidewalk delivery robots.

In response, China threatened retaliation, claiming the ban “severely damages China–US economic and trade stability,” according to a statement translated by CNBC. The ban doesn’t actually name China, but you’d be hard pressed to find another country that churns out as many sophisticated, inexpensive robots or robot parts. The country currently controls about 85% of the global humanoid robot market, according to a recent research report by Barclays cited by the Associated Press.

Besides Terminator-level destruction, what is there to fear? The Trump administration cited privacy concerns related to the technology collecting sensitive data in homes and public spaces, as well as foreign-made robots threatening US supply chains. While your Roomba may seem harmless, there have been cases of robot vacuums and robot lawn mowers getting hacked.

Security concerns are very real, but…The Verge noted that the ban doesn’t target specific companies or do much to curb data collection. Instead, it creates a blanket ban that many US-based robotics companies—which rely on Chinese parts—are nervous will obliterate their own supply chain.—MM