The U.S. currently leads the world in AI due to decades of investment and innovation and a commitment to being number one globally. Now, China has begun to gain ground in this race, raising concerns from tech and national security leaders alike. Yet while the AI race dominates headlines and captures the world’s imagination, another equally consequential contest is the quest to dominate the crucial world of robotics.
And in that battle, China has a $138 billion head start.
China’s National Development and Reform Commission announced a state-backed ¥1 trillion fund in robotics over the next 20 years. This is a shot across the bow of the rest of the technologically advanced world. China is staking its claim to the future. We know they have the talent, resources, and infrastructure. They also have a substantial financial commitment to dominate the robotics sector.
U.S. companies went to Capitol Hill in late March to demand a fast and proportional response. Executives from Tesla, Boston Dynamics, and Agility Robotics lobbied lawmakers to push funding so the nation does not fall even further behind. Jeff Cardenas, CEO of Apptronik, was quoted as saying, “We’re leading in AI, and I think we’re building some of the best robots in the world. But we need a national strategy if we’re going to continue to build and stay ahead.”
We cannot afford not to respond. Allowing a foreign adversary to corner the market in robotics would spell major trouble for not only our economy but potentially our military and defense.
Our critical issue is that we are at odds with most of the technologically advanced world due to the trade wars that President Donald Trump has launched on friend and foe alike. But the Administration should recognize that the threat posed by China also includes robotics, and therefore put aside its trade differences with allies to try to form a joint effort.
To win this war, the U.S. must first establish a comprehensive federal robotics strategy, similar to China’s approach, to coordinate efforts across the public and private sectors. This includes creating a dedicated federal office to oversee robotics innovation and adoption.
Next is the financial commitment to this battle. The government and private equity must work simultaneously to invest in Research and Development. Federal funding for academic research and commercial innovation in robotics should be increased immediately.
Also, a focus must be placed on enhancing the current workforce via reskilling and upskilling initiatives. To do this, federally funded training programs need to be launched to prepare the workers for automation-driven industries. This ensures the U.S. has skilled labor capable of operating and advancing robotic systems.
Additionally, we cannot lose sight of the need to strengthen domestic manufacturing to scale robot production effectively, addressing challenges like cost and efficiency. This allows the U.S. to maintain competitiveness against China’s rapidly expanding industrial robotics sector.
There is also a need to leverage digital twin technology. This entails a push to invest in creating virtual replicas of robotic systems to optimize performance, simulate testing, and predict maintenance needs. This accelerates innovation while minimizing risks and costs.
Add to all of these expanding the adoption of cobots, which work safely alongside humans. Simplified programming and turnkey solutions can make advanced robotics accessible to small businesses— a massive driver of the U.S. economy—to compete and remain efficient.
Finally, there has to be a unilateral drive to integrate advanced AI in healthcare robotics. Healthcare costs can strain the economy by diverting resources away from other sectors, leading to slower economic growth. It’s quite simple: the less money the average person needs to spend out of pocket on healthcare, the more they can invest and spend in their local economies.
My list of needs may be long, but it is nothing that the U.S. cannot do. This works together to place the nation back on a level playing field globally with China in the robotics race. My message to the U.S. government and enterprises is that there is no time to waste. We must act now; if we don’t, we are not only conceding the robotics race, we are conceding control over our future.
