American robotics firms are sounding the alarm. Without decisive federal action, they fear being left behind in the global race to dominate robotics.
As China and Japan pour more resources into their already robust robotics sectors, backed by favorable government policies and aggressive strategies, U.S. industry leaders are urging Congress to step up and level the playing field.
According to an Associated Press report, representatives of companies such as Tesla, Boston Dynamics and Agility Robotics, met on March 26, 2025 with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to push for the adoption of policies, including a national robotics strategy, that could help push the U.S. to the top in the global race to develop the next generation of robots.
The moment is reminiscent of an era when two superpowers jockeyed for dominance of a different kind of technology- aerospace. In the 50’s and 60’s, it was the U.S. and the Soviet Union, each seeking to solidify itself as the leader in space exploration. After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, the U.S. government responded by creating two agencies within nine months: NASA and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). The lesser-known DARPA is an agency within the Department of Defense tasked with developing emerging technologies for military use. With the Apollo 11 mission, America established itself as having the dominant space program, a position it has never relinquished. The lesson was clear – that bold, coordinated government action can invigorate the domestic technology sector, and that is the kind of magic that American robotics companies are hoping to spark. DARPA still exists and often produces cutting-edge products, such as stealth aircraft and space-based missile shields. Among its latest creations is an autonomous naval vessel.
Several groundbreaking announcements have come out of China recently, including how DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence company that develops Large Language Models, has managed to create a more efficient GPU at a fraction of the cost of a popular chip developed by U.S.-based NVIDIA. Also, a partnership of Chinese tech companies recently announced they have integrated 5G-A into a humanoid robot to allow it to venture beyond the reach of Wi-Fi. DeepSeek also released an advanced reasoning model, R1, earlier this year. Additionally, China’s National Development and Reform Commission announced on March 25, 2025 that a state-backed venture capital fund will be set up, focusing on robotics, AI and cutting-edge innovation.
According to the International Federation of Robotics, based in Germany, “The long-term fund is expected to attract nearly 1 trillion yuan ($138 billion US dollars) in capital from local governments and the private sector over 20 years. This initiative aims to continue China’s technology-driven success story in manufacturing: In ten years, the country’s global share of industrial robot installations has risen from around one-fifth to more than half of the world’s total demand.”
“China has succeeded in upgrading its manufacturing industry at an unprecedented pace,” says Takayuki Ito, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “Based on their national robotics strategy released in December 2021, the country has set an example of how to systematically strengthen competitiveness.”
According to the IFR, China is the world’s largest market for robots that work in factories and other industrial environments, with about 1.8 million robots operating in 2023.” As the younger generation shuns factory jobs and China’s workforce is rapidly aging, factory robots figure to become a critical necessity in the decades to come. According to estimates by the Economist Intelligence Unit, China’s workforce will shrink to approximately 645 million by 2045, down from a peak of 794 million in 2013.
The rise of AI and robotics as critical components of the global economy marks a turning point. Whichever nation comes out in front could dominate not only the industrial applications, but also military technology and healthcare automation.
“I think the U.S. has a great chance of winning,” said Jeff Cardenas, co-founder and CEO of the humanoid startup Apptronik, based in Austin, TX.
The next robotics race will be powered by artificial intelligence and will be “anybody’s to win,” Cardenas said. “I think the U.S. has a great chance of winning. 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,” he said.
The Association for Advancing Automation, North America’s largest automation trade association, representing more than 1,300 organizations involved in robotics, artificial intelligence, machine vision & imaging, motion control & motors and related automation technologies, says the U.S. government should develop a national robotics strategy. The strategy should include establishing a central government robotics office and implementing tax incentives to drive adoption; government agencies should be leading adopters to set an example, establish and expand government-funded training programs, fund both academic research and commercial innovation, and encourage the development of new standards.
“It is a primary government objective to bring jobs and manufacturing back to the United States, and for the country to become more self-sufficient in the manufacture of essential products,” the Association states. “Automation and robotics technologies will play a key role in these policy objectives, keeping our economy competitive while also enhancing worker safety and productivity across countless industries. Government policymakers at all levels should have an interest in the benefits that these technologies can bring their constituents, and in understanding how their policy initiatives can help further these interests. Moreover, rapid developments in embodied AI enable real-world interactions and applications across various sectors. There is an urgent and immediate need for government leadership to initiate and resource efforts to make the United States a world leader in the application of innovative and modern automation, robotics and manufacturing technologies.”
Robotics will continue to figure heavily in manufacturing, but the jury is still out on whether humanoid robots will get a warm reception in households across the world.
During JUMPSTARTER 2025 in Hong Kong in March 2025, Alibaba chairman Joe Tsai questioned the need to develop humanoid robots and equip them with AI human-like characteristics.
“A lot of what these robotics companies are trying to do is to replicate a human being that moves, feels, walks, runs and talks and thinks like a human being,” Tsai said. “The question I want to ask is what is the application of a humanoid?”
He said form should follow function, and that there is no necessity to create robotics in the form of a human if the task doesn’t require such. He gave the example of robotic vacuum cleaners, those circular sweepers that are so popular.
“I want machines to do things I don’t want to do, but I don’t need machines to replace humans in doing things that I want to do.” Mr. Tsai said.
