Trump’s AI protectionism has come for robotics

The FCC issued a sweeping ban on imports of humanoid, quadruped, and wheeled robots, citing national security risks from data collection and the need to protect US supply chains. But 90% of US university robotics papers rely on Unitree robots, where a quadruped costs $4,600 vs. $278,000 from Boston Dynamics. The ban could slow US research instead of boosting it. Ghost Robotics' CEO supports the move over real cybersecurity concerns. Unitree is about to IPO at a ~$6B valuation, while US firms like Figure and 1X aren't shipping at scale yet.

Why it matters: MIT Tech Review exclusive with solid data. The ban hits the supply chain of US robotics research directly — not generic trade friction. Held below 85 because the article lacks formal industry response and FCC enforcement details.