Walberg Sends Letter to Sec. Lutnick Regarding Risks of Foreign Humanoid Robot Technology

Yesterday, Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-05) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick urging the Department of Commerce to investigate the national security risks associated with Hypserscale Data in Dowagiac, Michigan, assembling humanoid robots made with components from AGIBOT, a Shanghai, China based manufacturer.  

"Foreign adversaries, especially the People’s Republic of China, remain a threat to America," Rep. Walberg writes. "Their military-civil fusion strategy and national intelligence laws that require citizens and companies to assist the Chinese government intelligence efforts when requested create risks for American companies who may choose to partner with them in key fields such as humanoid robotics."

"Recently, a U.S. robotics company, Omnipresent Robotics, and its parent company
Hypserscale Data have partnered with AGIBOT a Shanghai, China, based humanoid robotics manufacturer to import humanoid robotics components and control software, assemble them, operate them, and eventually sell them to other U.S. companies under the Omnipresent Robotics logo," Rep. Walberg continues. "Currently, Hyperscale Data plans to import, assemble, and field a fleet of 143 robots and is producing the first batch which will be called OPR-R2. They will begin using them at their datacenter and robotics lab campus in Dowagiac, Michigan, to 'support the development of embodied artificial intelligence applications, autonomous workflows, and advanced robotics systems.'"

"These intelligent robots made with components from AGIBOT could pose an
unacceptable risk to U.S. companies, infrastructure, and national security," Rep. Walberg concludes. "AGIBOT was founded in 2023 and has previously received financial backing from BYD and the Shanghai Embodied Intelligence Fund. The Department of Commerce has the authority to investigate these products and if it deems it necessary take action to keep the U.S. safe."

You may view the full letter here.

Congressman Walberg is a cosponsor of H.R. 9129, the Guarding the U.S. Against Adversarial Robotics Dominance (GUARD Act), which would mandate that any components, communications equipment, or software used in humanoid or quadruped robotics originating from a foreign country of concern be added to the Department of Commerce or Federal Communications Commission's covered entity list.