US Executives Urge Limits on Chinese Humanoid Robots

U.S. artificial intelligence and robotics executives testified before a House subcommittee on Tuesday, urging lawmakers to impose restrictions on Chinese humanoid robot manufacturers amid concerns over rapid technological advances and national security risks.

The hearing, held by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee in Washington, D.C., focused on China's growing dominance in humanoid robots, which are small, mobile machines designed to work alongside humans in various settings. Witnesses from companies including Scale AI and Boston Dynamics highlighted the swift progress of Chinese firms like Unitree Robotics, which recently demonstrated humanoid robots performing complex acrobatics and martial arts in a video shared during a Lunar New Year event. Max Fenkell, global head of policy and government relations at Scale AI, noted that just 12 months earlier, similar Unitree models could only manage basic dance routines. "That is the speed of this competition," Fenkell said, emphasizing the need for a coordinated government response to match China's state-backed investments.

Executives pointed to specific...