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U.S. robotics executives have asked Congress for federal funding, legislation, simpler regulation, limits on federal purchases of Chinese-made robots, and a cybersecurity review of foreign-made robots. Their case combines two concerns: connected robots could create security risks if compromised, and Chinese competitors could weaken U.S. manufacturing and research capacity. Those arguments do not, by themselves, establish that a particular Chinese-made robot has been used to cause harm.

What did U.S. robotics executives ask the government to do?

At a March 17, 2026, House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing, witnesses and industry representatives backed several kinds of federal action. They are related, but they are not the same policy: some would support domestic companies, while others would restrict purchases or assess security risks.

Proposed action What it would address Status in the cited material
Federal funding and domestic support Help U.S. firms compete, invest in research and development, and build industrial capacity. Requested by executives; no specific funding program is established in the hearing report.
Simpler, unified regulation Reduce the regulatory complexity U.S. companies say can make it harder to compete. Requested by executives; no new common standard is established by that request.
Federal procurement limits Restrict federal agencies from buying or operating covered foreign-made robots. Supported at the hearing; a bill was later announced as introduced, not enacted, by its Senate sponsors.
CISA security review Assess the cybersecurity of foreign-made robots and potential risks to connected environments. Requested by Max Fenkell and Matthew Malchano; the cited material does not establish that CISA adopted a review or standard.

CyberScoop reported that executives backed blocking federal agencies from purchasing Chinese-made robots and called for one federal regulatory standard. Scale AI’s Max Fenkell and Boston Dynamics’ Matthew Malchano also sought a CISA review of foreign-made robots. The hearing was titled “DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics: Examining the National Security Risks of PRC Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Autonomous Technologies and Building a Secure U.S. Technology Base.”

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Why do witnesses say connected robots raise security concerns?

A connected robot can do more than transmit data. Depending on its design and access, it may sense its surroundings, move through a facility, and manipulate objects. That combination could make a compromised robot a physical as well as a digital risk in a sensitive environment. It is a threat scenario raised in testimony, not evidence that a named robot has carried out such an attack.

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Asked about a compromised robot in a laboratory, industrial facility, or transportation hub, Malchano said the risk could resemble allowing a hostile person into the environment. He described a robot that might “go around, manipulate things, look at things” and, on an assembly line, damage equipment or photograph materials. His point was that a robot, if compromised, could pose risks beyond those of a passive internet-connected device.

House Homeland Security Subcommittee Chair Vince Fong made a related argument in his opening statement. He said competition in AI, robotics, and autonomous systems was already reaching U.S. campuses, police departments, smartphones, and systems connected to critical infrastructure. Fong called for investment in U.S. alternatives, stronger cybersecurity, and safeguards against federal funds supporting platforms that put U.S. data or infrastructure at risk. Those are the chair’s stated concerns and policy position, not an independent assessment establishing that every foreign-made robot is unsafe.

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Who testified, and what arguments did they make?

  • Max Fenkell, Scale AI’s Global Head of Policy and Government Relations, argued in written testimony that subsidized Chinese robotics platforms could undercut U.S. producers and weaken domestic research and industrial capacity.
  • Matthew Malchano, Boston Dynamics’ Vice President of Software, discussed the potential consequences if a robot in a sensitive environment were compromised.
  • Michael Robbins, President and CEO of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, represented an industry trade association.
  • Rush Doshi, a Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow and China Strategy Initiative director, brought a foreign-policy perspective.

These perspectives combine cybersecurity with competition, supply-chain resilience, and industrial policy. Fenkell’s claims about subsidies and their effects are his policy and economic arguments; the cited material does not independently verify every underlying allegation.

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CyberScoop, citing the International Federation of Robotics’ 2025 figures, reported that the world averaged 500,000 robot installations a year during 2020–2024, with China accounting for 54% and the United States for 9%. Those are figures relayed by the news report; the underlying IFR report and its methodology are not established here.

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What would the American Security Robotics Act do?

On March 26, 2026, Senator Tom Cotton’s office announced that Cotton and Senator Chuck Schumer had introduced the American Security Robotics Act, with Representative Elise Stefanik introducing companion House legislation. The sponsors described a proposed prohibition on federal procurement and operation of unmanned ground vehicle systems manufactured by foreign entities of concern, including humanoid robots and autonomous patrol technology.

That announcement describes introduced legislation, not an enacted law. The full bill text and its current legislative status are not established by the cited material, so it is not possible here to state the bill’s precise legal definitions, exceptions, or present prospects. Nor should its described scope be treated as automatically covering every robot, software product, component, or connected system.

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Has the U.S. banned Chinese robots?

The available information does not establish a general U.S. ban on Chinese robots. The Senate sponsors’ March announcement concerned a proposed federal procurement and operations restriction. Separately, a July 28, 2026, House Select Committee on the CCP statement described an FCC action concerning new foreign-made robots. The underlying FCC order is not available in the cited material, so its exact scope, exceptions, effective date, and legal effect cannot be stated here.

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These developments should not be collapsed into one nationwide prohibition. A restriction on what federal agencies may buy or operate is different from a rule governing products sold or used throughout the country. The legal scope also depends on the specific technology and entities named in the relevant bill or agency order.

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How does the broader policy debate go beyond cybersecurity?

The 2025 U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission executive summary recommended a broader interagency response involving autonomous systems. Its recommendations included a task force, DHS vulnerability assessment and cybersecurity standards, Commerce investigations and standards work, workforce retraining, expanded CFIUS review, and agency-specific adoption and deployment steps.

Those proposals are recommendations to Congress and the executive branch, not proof that the government adopted them. They also illustrate the distinct choices policymakers face: assess and reduce security risks, limit government procurement, support domestic industry, or pursue some combination. Funding and workforce measures address industrial capacity; procurement restrictions govern government buyers; cybersecurity assessments and standards concern system risk. Each requires its own defined scope and legal authority.

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