US robotics companies will hold lobby meetings for national robot strategy

A group of leading US robotics companies, including Tesla and Boston dynamics, is calling on lawmakers to establish federal offices dedicated to robotics and artificial intelligence. Companies argue that without a national strategy, the US risks falling behind China in its next great technology race: intelligent robotics.

Promote federal government policies

According to the Associated Press, company leaders gathered at Capitol Hill to showcase the latest innovations and advocate for a coordinated government approach.

Representatives from companies, including Tesla, Boston's Dynamics and Agility Robotics, met with Capitol Hill lawmakers on Wednesday to showcase their products and urge the US to adopt policies that will boost American companies in the global race to develop the next generation of robots.

“We're leading AI,” said Jeff Cardenas, CEO and co-founder of Austin-based startup Apptronik, after the closure meeting. “But if we move on, we need a national strategy.”

The Association for Advanced Automation added that the robot represents the “physical manifestation” of AI. In a statement, the group warned:

Without leadership, the US would lose not only robotics races, but AI races as well.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) repeated his concerns. “China is dedicating a lot of resources very quickly,” he said. “We need to maintain innovation and entrepreneurship.”

The outlet says China is currently the largest market for factory robots, with about 1.8 million people in 2023, according to the German-based International University of Robots (IFR).

Beijing is “locating humanoid robots as frontier technology,” the AP reported. The country recently launched a $138 billion state fund focusing on robotics, AI and related technologies.

Tesla robot “Group”

Tesla, an electric car maker led by Elon Musk, was sometimes called the “co-chairman” of the United States due to his oversized influence in the Trump administration, and played a prominent role in the conference.

Optimus, Tesla's humanoid robot program, has a big goal. Built to look and move like a person, Optimus can handle tasks that are “dangerous, repetitive, boring” to humans. The robot runs on Tesla's in-house AI and shares critical components with company cars, such as sensors and actuators.

At the first quarter 2025 meeting last Thursday, Musk said:

This year, we hope to be able to build around 5,000 Optimus robots… But even with 5,000 robots, it's Fyi, the size of the Roman legion, and it's a bit of a scary thought. Like the whole robot, I'm like, “Oops!”

Musk predicted more,

I think this year, I will literally build at least one Legion robot, and perhaps a legion of 10 people next year… It's probably 50,000 next year.

Musk showed that Optimus Bot could ultimately become “more important than the automotive business” in 2022.

Boston Dynamics: From the military to civilians

Massachusetts-based Boston Dynamics, known for its agile, dog-like humanoid robots, is seeking federal support. The company, now owned by Hyundai, first attracted attention through a US military research grant.

One of the most famous machines is a witty, quadrupled robot built to navigate complex terrain. The company's roots are for military use, but it is now expanding to civilian applications. In 2024, at least two police stations used spots to “gather valuable information to remove dangerous situations.” The first responders also used it to inspect dangerous areas without risking human lives.

The reach of the spot is increasing. It is being deployed at construction sites to monitor progress and detect safety issues. In energy plants, infrastructure checks for obstacles. During the COVID pandemic, some hospitals have used spots to provide supply and even treat patients to reduce exposure to medical staff. になったんです。 English: The first thing you can do is to find the best one to do.

Spot's real-world use can range from border control to disaster zones. It is deployed to spot victims of collapsed buildings, detect chemical leaks, inspect suspicious packages, and assist in hostage situations. Spot can monitor crowds at public events, map and assist wildfires, and collect data after an emergency.

Boston Dynamics builds Atlas, a humanoid robot powered by AI and machine learning, designed for agility and coordination. You can run, jump, and process objects in a dynamic environment.

Boston Dynamics is calling product tools for public safety. And while that may be true, some observers never want the robots to become public safety concerns themselves.

Agility Robotics: Bipedal Worker

Oregon-based Agility Robotics is taking a different approach. We are building bipedal robots such as numbers to work with people in warehouses and distribution centers. Digit has already been tested by logistics companies such as Amazon.

In June 2024, the company signed a multi-year agreement with GXO Logistics, marking the formal commercial deployment of the industry's first humanoid robot. Digit is deployed in GXO's logistics operations, assisting in tasks such as moving totes from co-robots to conveyors.

Agility CEO Peggy Johnson said earlier this month that Digit will fill the workforce gap by handling repetitive, physically demanding tasks that are often not reclaimed. It is run with AI by using large language models such as Gemini and ChatGpt to learn new tasks and follow verbal commands.

The robots are offered as subscriptions, allowing businesses to scale up small. Long-term agility aims to bring digits home as well.

Apptronik: Friendly Helper

Apptronik CEO and co-founder Jeff Cardenas helped lead the push in Washington.

The company specializes in developing versatile humanoid robots designed to work with people from various industries. Their flagship robot, Apollo, is “the first commercial humanoid robot designed for friendly interaction, mass production potential, high payload and safety.” It aims to perform tasks such as material handling and assembly lines support, improving efficiency and addressing labor shortages in sectors such as manufacturing and logistics.

The company hopes Congress will prioritize robotics in the way China has, allowing America to “stay first” and build “some of the best robots in the world.”

Before building the Legion

Robots can reduce burdens, increase productivity and expand what is possible. The possibilities are enormous. But the same goes for risk. It needs to be suspended as companies will bring together organizations that have long been immersed in influence and special interest for a long time to build a national robotics strategy.

Extending robot use means there's more to more than upgrading tools. Behind the increased dependence on robots is the displaced people, deeper inequality, and the ability to concentrate on fewer hands. Furthermore, it invites surveillance into every corner of life and outsources moral judgment to machines. It is a dream of a blurred, obedient enforcer, which puts the blur of accountability, fraying social bonds, and jeopardizing governments and businesses at risk.

Certainly, China competes with state-backed robotics, which are rarely checked by legal or moral considerations. So, in the competition in Beijing, we should not abandon the principles that set us apart. Speed ​​and efficiency alone are not virtues. Central planning, massive surveillance, and top-down control – if driven by a fused state and corporate elite, the cost is too high if it is the price of a victory in this race.

Our constitutional orders are based on the belief that limited government, national sovereignty, individual dignity and power begin with the people. Innovation is not a replacement for freedom. If we forget that, we can build a machine that does everything.