The UK government has launched a £20 million funding competition to accelerate the development of robots and automated technologies for agriculture, with the aim of helping farmers improve productivity and reduce dependence on seasonal labour. Announced by farming minister Stephen Morgan, the funding is available to agri-tech businesses working with researchers and farmers to develop […]

The US government has taken one of its most significant steps yet to regulate advanced robotics, adding foreign-produced humanoids, quadrupeds and other mobile robots to the Federal Communications Commission‘s “Covered List” of technologies considered to pose an unacceptable risk to national security. At first glance, the decision appears surprising. The FCC is best known for […]

Update follows determinations by executive branch agencies that these devices threaten national security The United States Federal Communications Commission updated its “Covered List” to include two new categories of devices – “advanced robotic devices” (defined as mobile robots, such as humanoids and quadrupeds) and, separately, connected power inverters produced in foreign countries. The action follows […]

Last week, the US government announced $2 billion in investments in quantum computing companies, allocating $100 million each to a range of startups in exchange for equity in the companies. Those could be make-or-break investments for many companies that are likely years away from a product that could see widespread use. But a member of the US Congress is now arguing that those deals are illegal, as Congress did not allocate the money for this purpose—instead, it was meant to support public research in semiconductors.

But the biggest chunk of money would go to a company that likely wouldn't exist if it weren't for the government's backing. Anderon will be set up with a billion dollars each from IBM and the government and will inherit personnel and IP from IBM. It will serve as a foundry for fabricating quantum processing units and will contract its services out to IBM and any other company that wants access to cutting-edge hardware.

Is any of this legal?

Zoe Lofgren (D–Calif.), the ranking member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, made it clear that she is not happy with how the government is using its money to support this technology.

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