US eyes ban on Chinese humanoid robots as US-China tech rivalry intensifies

US scrutiny of Chinese technology has expanded to a new frontier, as lawmakers in Washington advance defence legislation prohibiting the military from deploying Chinese-made humanoid robots. The US House of Representatives has passed the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), an annual military policy bill that incorporates provisions restricting the use of foreign autonomous systems over national security and data privacy concerns. Under Section 163 of the draft bill, the Pentagon would…