U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has introduced new legislation aimed at protecting American interests in the field of robotics. The proposed Humanoid Robots Oversight and Blocking of Obtainment from Totalitarians (Humanoid ROBOT) Act seeks to ensure that the United States maintains its leadership in robotics while preventing adversarial nations from gaining access to American systems through humanoid robot technologies.
The bill would prohibit federal agencies and their contractors from using humanoid robots developed by China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea. It also calls for increased oversight of foreign investment in U.S. humanoid robotics.
“Americans win when we lead in technology,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We’re keeping that lead by blocking countries like China from putting their robots in our workplaces and homes.”
Humanoid robots are expected to play a growing role in industrial, household, and defense settings. While the United States currently leads this sector, there is concern that hostile nations are making significant investments in the technology, which could threaten American data security, national security, and economic competitiveness.
Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) joined Senator Cassidy in introducing the legislation.
