US targets Chinese robots over security fears

A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to draw a clear line on where certain robots may operate in the United States. Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) recently introduced legislation that would ban the federal government from using robots made by foreign adversaries, a category that includes China but can also apply to other designated countries.

The proposal, called the American Security Robotics Act, targets unmanned ground systems. That includes humanoid robots and remote-controlled surveillance machines.