American legislators plan to introduce a law prohibiting government agencies from buying and utilizing humanoid robots from China. The argument is based on concerns about national security. However, past teaches that formal barriers alone are not adequate to win a technological race, and the US is one more time reaching for a solution that has already failed in the case of smartphones, cars or port cranes. This decision exposes shortcomings in the American approach to innovation and production.
In the halls of legislature again. Senators Tom Cotton and Chuck Schumer announced a plan to push through the American safety Robotics Act. The paper is intended to block the anticipation of the national government acquiring robots produced by entities from the Adversary States, with peculiar emphasis on China. Politicians argue that these machines are a threat. They point to the hazard of collecting data that could go to Beijing, as well as the anticipation of distant control of equipment.
The task comes at a crucial moment. Chinese companies like Agibot or Unitree become powerful players, challenging giants like Tesla. Their robots are prepared for many tasks – from production work to regular housework. Both companies are preparing for stock debuts, and their products are of large interest in the world. Washington's consequence to this offensive, however, seems acquainted and shortsighted. A akin task in the home of Representatives is about to study to Elise Stefanik.
misunderstanding the commercialisation and production process
American politicians, pushing bans, seem to have a vague thought of the reality of investigation and development, the commercialisation of technology and the complexity of modern production. They presume that formal barriers will halt the Chinese robot manufacture from affecting the improvement of the American sector. It is wishful thinking, ignoring the foundations of modern industry: global supply chains, specialised know-how and skilled staff.
The exclusion of Chinese products from government procurement will not origin factories in the US to abruptly be able to produce equally advanced and affordable robots. Innovation is not born from prohibitions, but from hard work at the base, investment in infrastructure and building an industrial ecosystem. This is something that has been missing in the United States for a long time.
Bitter lesson from the industrial robot industry
To realize why Washington's current strategy fails, just look at the related industrial robot market. For years, the United States has prided itself on being a planet leader in this area. However, the problem is that this leadership is almost exclusively limited to software and conceptual design. erstwhile it comes to the physical creation of a machine, the American dream collides with reality.
Currently, there is not a single plant in the US that would from scratch produce advanced industrial robots on a massive scale. The vast majority of equipment in American factories is imported. Why is this happening? The United States has disposed of its production base on their own request. Over the decades, production has been transferred to countries with lower costs, leading to a returnable failure of manufacturing power.
Raw materials are not everything, there is simply a deficiency of processing technology
We have been writing about this fundamental problem of the American economy on the website China24.com for many years now. The United States, although inactive possessing tremendous natural resources, does not have the right technologies and plants capable of efficient processing for industry. The specified possession of the deposit is only the beginning of the road; the real value arises in a complicated process of refining and processing.
An excellent example here are uncommon earth metals, essential for the production of advanced electronics and magnets utilized in robotics. Although the US is trying to rebuild its mining capacity, they are inactive dramatically dependent on China for their processing. A akin situation applies to titanium. The USA presently does not have home production of titanium sponge, based entirely on imports. Under specified conditions, building an independent humanoid robot manufacture is simply a dream.
Entertainment replay: smartphones, cars and port cranes
The current legislative initiative is simply a classical example of the re-use of a solution that has failed spectacularly in another sectors. Let us callback the crusade against Chinese smartphones and infrastructure, headed by Huawei. The cut off of the Chinese giant from American technology was to halt the improvement of the Chinese technology sector. The effect? China accelerated work on its own semiconductors, presenting the planet with full proprietary, advanced devices.
A akin script is now observed in the electrical car market. The prohibitive duties on Chinese electrics did not make American producers start offering better vehicles. Artificially protected American marketplace chokes, while Chinese companies gain planet dominance by offering technologies that US companies cannot compete with. Detroit doesn't emergence like a phoenix from ashes.
The Chinese port cranes of ZPMC were no different. erstwhile a panic over alleged spy risks broke out in Washington, it rapidly became apparent that American ports depend entirely on this equipment. In the United States, no 1 produces specified cranes, and replacing them overnight proved physically impossible.
The planned ban on Chinese humanoid robots by the American government is another example of repeated mistakes. Without massive investments in rebuilding the production base and supply chains, US sanctions will stay only a political gesture. The Chinese robotics manufacture will grow, and the US will only watch another strategical technological sector slip out of their hands.
PS Illustration of this article is the emanation of a imagination of American politicians who, in principle, consider everything from China to be a threat to national security. This does not contradict the US-wide practice of producing and importing key materials, components, machines, equipment and technological solutions from the PRC.
Source:
- Asia Nikkei – US lawmakers to introduce bill to ban government usage of Chinese robots
- International Federation of Robotics – marketplace Reports on Industrial Robotics
- China24.com – Analysis of the US production base and supply chains
- Center for strategical and global Studies – U.S. Dependency Reports on uncommon earth metals
- Reuters – Information on the American safety Robotics Act
Leszek B. Glass
Email: [email protected]
