Chuck Schumer, Tom Cotton Push Bill That Bans Chinese Humanoid Robots For Government Use

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) have touted a bipartisan bill that bans the use of humanoid robots made by Chinese companies for U.S. Government use. National Security Threats By Foreign-Controlled Robots In a bill introduced on March 26, the two lawmakers released a statement, in which they touted the bill as a crucial piece of legislation that would “protect Americans from national security threats that are introduced by foreign-controlled robots.” Dubbed the American Security Robotics Act, the bill prohibits the government from procuring “unmanned ground vehicles” from foreign adversaries, like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In the release, unmanned ground vehicles include “humanoid robots and autonomous patrol technology.” Cotton said that the technology posed a threat to Arkansas’s privacy and security. He also said that the ban would help protect the nation from “countries that wish us harm.” “The Chinese Communist Party has shown that they are willing to lie and cheat to get ahead at the expense of the American people and our national security,” Schumer said in the release. He added that such a bill would also help protect American researchers. A companion bill was also introduced in the House by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY). Robots In The US, Globe Robots in the U.S. have taken center stage following First Lady Melania Trump‘s comments, saying that the technology could be used to have robots as teachers in classrooms. Her comments came as she was accompanied by the Figure 3.0 robot, a rival to Tesla Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Optimus and backed by the likes of Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) and Jeff Bezos. The company had earlier shown its Helix 02 Robot carrying out domestic chores in a video, which prompted Elon Musk to question whether the robot was being remotely operated, which was denied by Figure’s CEO Brett Adcock. Interestingly, Musk had also shared that the company faces its biggest competitive threat in the robotics sector from Chinese companies. Meanwhile, Xiaomi Corp. (OTC:XIACY) (OTC:XIACF) recently deployed humanoid robots in its EV assembly plant and Xpeng Inc. (NYSE:XPEV) shared that it was aiming to establish a new facility in Guangzhou, China, to ramp up IRON humanoid robots’ production. Mark Cuban Bets On Robotics Billionaire Mark Cuban shared that he believed that homes in the future would be adapted to fit Robots in people’s day-to-day lives. “I think houses are going to be redesigned completely so that whatever the optimal robot is that allows it to simplify the house, that's where houses will go,” he said during a podcast appearance. Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link. Photo courtesy: IM Imagery/Shutterstock