The Trump administration has banned new Chinese robots – including vacuums – amid fear over the growth of the country’s AI industry.
The ban took aim at “humanoid robots” and quadrupeds, of the kind that put AI systems into human- or animal-like bodies. But it also covers almost any kind of reasonably heavy robot that is controlled by software and is able to perceive its environment and connect wirelessly, which includes robot vacuums such as Roombas.
