The Trump administration has announced a ban on the import of new Chinese robots and inverters, in a move aimed at protecting America’s artificial intelligence infrastructure from national security threats.
The Trump administration has announced a ban on the import of new Chinese robots and inverters, in a move aimed at protecting America’s artificial intelligence infrastructure from national security threats.
Reuters reported on the relevant decision of the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The new restrictions apply to humanoid and quadrupedal robots, as well as grid inverters that connect renewable energy sources and batteries to power grids and data centers (DPCs).
The focus has been on Chinese robotics maker Unitree, which accounts for nearly a fifth of the global market. The company recently struck a deal with Nvidia to use Blackwell chips as the «brains» for its devices. Despite Nvidia’s claims that the robots’ data will remain in the US, US officials are wary of possible espionage and information leaks.
«These devices could create vulnerabilities in the supply chain that threaten U.S. economic and national security, and pose cybersecurity risks to America’s critical infrastructure,» the FCC said in a statement.
The inverter restrictions are also intended to prevent risks in the renewable energy and data center sectors, dominated by China’s Sungrow Power Supply and Huawei. US authorities are seeking to avoid a repeat of cyberattacks similar to the Volt Typhoon campaign in 2023, when hackers used network equipment to covertly access critical infrastructure facilities.
In response, the Chinese Embassy in Washington called on the US to «stop discrediting Chinese companies» and stated Beijing’s readiness to take retaliatory measures to protect its own interests.
Recall that recently, the Dnipro startup RoboL Robotics moved from laboratory prototypes to commercial operation and installed its first robotic kiosk under the Robi Coffee brand in the Apollo shopping center in Dnipro. The founder and CEO of the project, Anton Kotyk, told dev.ua how the robot reacts to air alarms, what operational challenges the team faced, and why the startup is preparing for expansion to Finland.
