US artificial intelligence and robotics firms have urged lawmakers to take action against Chinese robot manufacturers – singling out Unitree Robotics – citing increased competition and national security risks, in a sign that humanoid robots may emerge as a new battleground in the widening US-China tech rivalry. China’s speed of advancement in humanoid robots is alarming, and the US government should formulate coordinated policies and strategies to counter Chinese firms’ dominance in the industry, witnesses said at a hearing on Tuesday convened by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee of the House Committee on Homeland Security. The witnesses, including executives from Scale AI and Boston Dynamics, recommended government actions including investigating the national security threat posed by Chinese robot makers, expanding export control measures to cover AI inference chips and potentially banning federal agencies from procuring certain Chinese AI and robotics technologies. Concerns about China’s rise in robotics have been growing in Washington over the past year amid the intense AI race between the US and China. “It may move slowly within Congress, and it is true that this is an area where there is more bipartisan support.

Source: The Star March 21, 2026 23:35 UTC