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Terminator-like uprising thwarted?

In a shock move, US President Trump has saved the USA from a Terminator-like robot uprising.

Seriously?

Well if you believe the justifications given by Trump, that's the rationale for banning the import of Chinese robot technology.

Citing "national security", Trump has banned the import of a wide range of robot technology-based products from China, including humanoid robots, robo-dogs and even autonomous vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers.

Think of the apocalpse that would result if China remotely directed your robo-mower to mulch your daffodils!

As always, there's a smidgen of truth in the justifications being made for these bans.

While I don't consider the likelihood of a Terminator-like uprising of Chinese-made humanoid robots, there is always the possibility that robo-vaccums could be sending detailed maps of your house back to China. What good that would do them is a matter up for debate.

The real reason for this ban is probably much the same as the reason for the ban on DJI drones, being a simple act of economic protectionism.

While Elon Musk's efforts still represent little more than a simple remote control system for a bunch of servos and linkages attached to a human-like frame (sorry Optimus), China's humanoid bots are far more advanced and have been doing some pretty cool stuff, at least if YouTube videos are anything to go by.

Just as China has dominated the drone market to such an extent that there are almost no affordable, practical alternatives to DJI, their dominance of the robot market makes it pretty hard for US-based manufacturers to capture any market-share. The solution, in Trump's mind, is to simply block competition at the border by using one of the standard excuses ("national security", "won't someone think of the children?", etc, etc).

So far we have drones, cars, robots, routers and many other things that are forbidden to be imported from China. This clearly signals that what we have here is a trade war, not an overwhelming threat to the security of the USA.

The big risk that the USA faces with this strategy is that it denies itself access to the cheap, high quality technology it needs to compete on the domestic and world stage in other areas. When such bans hike the cost of so many essential services (such as surveying, manufacturing, communications, etc) then everything you produce costs more and makes those products less competitive on the international market.

Increasingly, the USA is creating an isolationist economy, whether they want it or not.

The other problem is that if Trump removes all imported competition to domestic manufacturing in these areas, there is far less incentive for domestic manufacturers to lift their game, innovate or remain keenly priced. Ultimately, consumers pay the price.

I watch with interest to see where this all ends up.

Carpe Diem folks!

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