As China and the US compete on inventing new robots and mastering artificial intelligence, the Trump administration has banned humanoid and four-legged robots from foreign nations from being imported within its borders. This is due to these robots proposing an "unacceptable risk" to America's national security.
The ban also applies to power inverters, as this is said to pose a risk to the US economy. As per BBC News, the Chinese embassy in Washington says Beijing opposes this ban, seeing it as trade issues being politicised and sanctions being placed under "groundless pretexts." The Chinese embassy also said that China will "take all necessary measures" against any harm to its interests, saying countries must work together to develop AI.
This isn't the first time that China's trade has come under fire from the Trump administration. As China rapidly develops humanoid robotics for work and leisure, the US is steering clear of having these machines come past its borders. If you wanted your own viral robot to dance around for a bit before flopping on the floor, unfortunately you are out of luck in the US.
