Robots
Follow on Apple or Spotify. Listen on the Reuters app.
There's a global race for robot supremacy. From Shanghai to Silicon Valley, companies are trying to develop humanoids that can take on physical work. China is emerging as a major player thanks to abundant government support. Host Carmel Crimmins talks to Brenda Goh, Reuters bureau chief in Shanghai, and Anna Tong, Reuters technology correspondent in San Francisco, about the drive for humanoid labor. Plus, how to train your robot.
For information on our privacy and data protection practices visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement.
You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising.
Further Listening
Budget deficits
Coffee
Critical Minerals
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump's tariff czar reveals the four countries on verge of trade deals…including a 'nasty' one
President Donald Trump 's top trade negotiator shared that the U.S. may be close to finalizing tariff deals with several major partners in coming weeks. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC that an imminent deal could be struck with the E.U. after Trump threatened increasing the 'nasty' union's rate to 50 percent earlier this month. Greer also shared that he has been in nearly constant contact with India 's top trade representative, claiming to have calls with them 'every day.' In addition, the trade rep. revealed that he plans on forwarding negotiations with Malaysia and Vietnam at the upcoming Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) meeting next week. He also said he will be talking to E.U. representatives at the gathering. Though not all news has been positive; China, Greer said, has 'violated' a trade agreement made with the U.S. in Geneva earlier this month - echoing a major complaint highlighted by Trump the same day. A handshake agreement between the world's two largest economies came earlier this month and was widely seen as a way to tamper tensions between the pair. China was hit with a tariff rate in excess of 145 percent earlier this year before the agreement, but the rate then came down to around 30 percent. Trump said he expects to talk to Chinese President Xi Jinping during an Oval Office press conference with DOGE leader Elon Musk on Friday. 'I'm sure that I'll speak to President Xi and hopefully we'll work that out, but its a violation of the agreement,' he said. The president said he is sure they will talk as the countries remain at odds over trade. Earlier in the day the 78-year-old commander in chief sent off a salvo on Truth Social lambasting China for violating the Geneva deal. 'Two weeks ago China was in grave economic danger! The very high tariffs I set made it virtually impossible for China to trade into the United States marketplace which is, by far, number one in the world,' his post began. 'We went, in effect, cold turkey with China, and it was devastating for them. Many factories closed and there was, to put it mildly, 'civil unrest,'' it continued. 'The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, has totally violated its agreement with us.' The agreement made between Greer, Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent and some top Chinese officials in Geneva in May stipulated that the two countries would unwind tariffs and trade restrictions on certain critical minerals. Greer accused China of slow-walking that process during his interview Friday. 'The Chinese are slow-rolling their compliance, which is completely unacceptable and it has to be addressed,' he stated. Soon after, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in D.C., Liu Pengyu, hit back at the claims. 'Recently, China has repeatedly raised concerns with the US regarding its abuse of export control measures in the semiconductor sector and other related practices,' they said in a statement. 'China once again urges the US to immediately correct its erroneous actions, cease discriminatory restrictions against China and jointly uphold the consensus reached at the high-level talks in Geneva.' The spokesperson's complaint comes after a Reuters report that the U.S. ordered some companies to stop shipping goods to China without certain licensing. Products ranging from semiconductors, chemicals, software and aviation equipment are among the restricted items, sources shared. The president announced a 90 day pause on some tariffs earlier this year, with many steep rates coming back into effect this summer if U.S. trade partners do not sign deals. Vietnam was hit especially hard by the White House's 'Liberation Day' tariff announcement in April. On a massive board showcasing the rates to be imposed held aloft by Trump on stage, Vietnam was slapped with one of the highest tariffs at 46 percent. Malaysia, meanwhile, was hit with a 24 percent rate under Trump's reciprocal tariff plan while India faces a 27 percent rate. Earlier this week, Trump was dealt a devastating blow, albeit a temporary one. A three-judge panel at the U.S. New York-based Court of International Trade ruled that parts of the president's tariff regime was unlawful. The ruling argued that Trump had wrongfully invoked an emergency law to justify the levies. Erupting with frustration, some in the White House vented that the move was akin to a 'judicial coup' against the president's executive authority. The pause was short-lived, though, after an appeals court issued a stay on the panel's ruling that have allowed the tariffs to remain. The appeals court demanded to hear from the Trump administration and the litigating parties, Democratic-led states and a group of small businesses. The case remains ongoing, though the White House has multiple tools at its disposal to implement tariffs in other ways if the court rules against it.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Trump is breaking up with the tech bros, here's why
As Elon Musk steps down from his role at the White House, there are signs Donald Trump's love affair with Silicon Valley could be on the rocks. The president sailed to election victory in November buoyed up by a wave of support from tech billionaires. But as his America First measures on immigration, university funding, tariffs and energy begin to bite, a tech bro break-up looms. 'There's definitely some buyer's remorse on the right,' said Nu Wexler, a former policy communications executive at Google. Having previously blocked the president from all Meta platforms, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg sought to make amends first by dining with Mr Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in November, and then by donating $1 million to his inauguration fund. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, caused outrage in February when he shook up The Washington Post's opinion section, ordering the paper to support 'personal liberties and free markets', in a move widely interpreted as a courtesy to Mr Trump. He also made overtures to the first lady, paying $40 million for a Melania Trump documentary – nearly three times the next highest bid. Meanwhile, Tim Cook, the Apple CEO, was hailed as tech's Trump whisperer after he donated $1 million and is said to have sweetened the deal with promises to start manufacturing products in the US. Their support for Mr Trump was not without reason. During the election campaign, the president promised to unleash innovation by stripping back regulations he said hindered the development of artificial intelligence (AI) under the Biden administration. Mr Trump is currently also making good on promises to make permanent the cuts to corporate tax rates, which he slashed from 35 per cent to 21 per cent in his first term. And he has set about implementing a bold programme of financial services deregulation, particularly around cryptocurrency. But the flattery of Mr Trump has not had the anticipated effect. It was widely expected that antitrust lawsuits against Facebook, Google and Amazon would soon disappear. Yet Mr Trump has so far declined to intervene. Meanwhile, his relationship with Mr Cook appears to have soured after Mr Trump criticised the Apple billionaire for building factories in India. At the same time, the knock-on effects of Mr Trump's broader policy agenda have sent Silicon Valley reeling. Mr Musk said this week he was 'disappointed' with the president's 'big, beautiful' spending bill, warning that it 'undermines' the work of the Department for Government Efficiency (Doge) to bring down the deficit. Despite Mr Musk's comment, the pair apparently remain great friends, with the president presenting the billionaire with a golden key to the White House during a farewell press conference on Friday. However, Mr Musk's concerns were echoed by Chamath Palihapita, a former Facebook senior executive and host of the All In podcast, who warned that the financial markets would 'punish' the Trump administration for driving up national debt. Immigration, too, has proved a dividing line between Mr Trump's Maga base and his Silicon Valley allies, with Mr Musk pledging to 'go to war' over visas for skilled immigrants. Around 70 per cent of H-1B visa holders in the US are employed in the tech industry, and the SpaceX founder has likened the need to attract engineering talent from overseas to a professional sports team bringing in foreign players. The president's repeated attacks on universities have also set pulses racing in Silicon Valley, with the scientific research programmes that transformed America into a technology superpower facing billions of dollars in cuts. For decades, the US has stood unrivalled as the world's leader in scientific discovery and technological innovation thanks to government-backed projects that have created everything from the internet to mRNA vaccines. However, the amount of money disbursed in grants by the National Science Foundation, which funds much of the scientific research at American universities, has plummeted by 51 per cent this year so far, compared to the average over the past 10 years. 'Killing the golden goose' 'There are a lot of people in Silicon Valley who worry this is going to kill the golden goose,' said Darrell West, a senior fellow in the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings Institution. 'A lot of America's competitive advantage has been in digital technologies, and we're now making it difficult to finance the next generation.' Mr Trump's tariffs agenda has triggered widespread alarm in the tech sector as well. Having successfully won an exemption from a 145 per cent tariff on iPhones assembled in China, Apple was caught off guard last week by Mr Trump threatening 25 per cent tariffs on all iPhones made outside the US. 'I don't want you building in India,' the president warned Mr Cook during his recent Middle East tour. Moreover, Mr Trump's moratorium on new clean energy projects risks driving up energy prices in California, where renewables account for 54 per cent of the state's total electricity generation. Data centres – sprawling warehouses full of computer servers that power AI – are reliant on cheap electricity to keep them running, with experts warning that even small increases in energy prices could have 'catastrophic' consequences. His plan to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act also spells bad news for California's world-leading energy storage industry by removing tax cuts that spurred investment in the technology. From the moment Mr Musk pranced on stage at a Trump rally in October wearing an 'Occupy Mars' T-shirt, some critics said the president and Silicon Valley made strange bedfellows. A far cry from the casual-dressing tech bros of San Francisco, whom Mr Trump recently called 'these internet people', the president is rarely seen without a suit and tie (when he's not on the golf course). 'Tech investors are not a logical fit for the grassroots Maga movement. It is more a relationship of convenience right now,' said Mr Wexler. A loveless marriage it may be. But a messy divorce could have devastating consequences for the future of Mr Trump's coalition. 'He's tacked his administration to tech billionaires. They're a very powerful group and very well connected,' said Mr West. 'If they start to turn on him, that's a political nightmare.'
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
British businessman ‘spied for Beijing and tried to smuggle weapons into China'
A British businessman tried to smuggle missiles and drones into China and attempted to silence critics of Xi Jinping, according to an indictment. John Miller is accused of spying for the Chinese Communist Party and faces extradition to the US after his arrest in Serbia. The 63-year-old allegedly referred to Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, as 'The Boss' in intercepted phone calls and conducted surveillance on an artist who created statues mocking the country's leader. In April, Mr Miller was arrested along with 43-year-old Chinese national Cui Guanghai, in Belgrade, Serbia, on the orders of the FBI and is now awaiting extradition to the US where he could be jailed for 20 years. Over two and a half years, Mr Miller and Mr Cui allegedly employed a wide range of tactics to harass, intimidate, stalk and threaten a Los Angeles resident, known only as 'the victim', who is a public critic of President Xi. 'As alleged, the defendants targeted a US resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime,' said Todd Blanche, the US deputy attorney general. Mr Miller is a long-time resident of the US, but also owns a £1.5 million home in Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Companies House records show Mr Miller has held roles in at least five UK companies, including TEFL Jobs China Ltd, which seemed to facilitate English language teaching jobs, but is now dissolved. 'Couldn't have gone better' A few months before the case began in June 2023, Mr Miller went to China where he met with Chinese government officials in Beijing and Liaoning, a province in north-east China that borders North Korea. He also met someone who works for the governor of Liaoning. During the trip, Mr Cui reportedly introduced Mr Miller to two people, who Mr Miller later referred to as 'big mother------s.' Upon his return, he reportedly boasted that 'the trip couldn't have gone better'. The first incident referred to in the indictment occurred shortly after he returned. In October 2023, Mr Miller and Mr Cui approached two individuals who, unbeknownst to them, were working for the FBI. They enlisted the undercover agents to stop 'the victim' from protesting against Xi's appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit the following month. Mr Miller and Mr Cui allegedly installed tracking devices on 'the victim's' car and paid the undercover agents to slash their tires. Mr Miller and Mr Cui also devised a complex plan to destroy a set of statues created by 'the victim'. These depicted President Xi and his wife bare-chested, kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs, and were potentially going to be displayed at a protest. The 'victim' had previously displayed the statues in Times Square electronic billboards and broadcast the display on X, according to court documents. Initially, Mr Miller had wanted to steal the statues and 'remove the heads' as evidence, but later decided to pay the undercover FBI agents to 'smash up' them up. In 2025, Mr Miller paid the agents $36,500 (£27,100) to convince 'the victim' to desist from showcasing the new statues at an upcoming protest, after 'the victim' had displayed the statues on a 24-hour live feed online. Beyond the intimidation schemes, Mr Miller also allegedly tried to purchase millions of pounds worth of military equipment on behalf of the Chinese military. 'The big boss' Mr Miller reportedly tried to buy a £37,000 Stinger portable missile launcher, two military drones valued at £148,000, a £668,000 AGM-88E anti-radiation missile system and a £1.5 million air-defence radar system. He also allegedly tried to procure a cryptographic device, which is used for secure communication of classified and sensitive information. At one point, the Briton suggested that the device be smuggled from the US to China by hiding it inside a food blender or a motor starter, having shipped it first via DHL or FedEx to Hong Kong, according to court documents. Several times in Mr Miller's conversations, he mentions a 'boss' or at times a 'big boss' that seems to be the one giving orders. According to the special FBI agent who submitted the affidavit, Mr Miller's use of the phrase 'boss' 'refer[s] to President Xi' and 'demonstrates [Miller's] awareness that he was acting at the direction and control of the [Chinese] government.' Mr Blanche said: 'This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defence systems. 'We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge.' Bill Essayli, attorney for the Central District of California, said: 'The indictment alleges that Chinese foreign actors targeted a victim in our nation because [they] criticised the Chinese government and its president. 'My office will continue to use all legal methods available to hold accountable foreign nationals engaging in criminal activity on our soil.' Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said: 'The FBI will not tolerate transnational repression targeting those in the United States who express dissenting opinions about foreign leaders. 'Both defendants face serious stalking charges in Los Angeles and my office intends to hold them accountable for bullying a victim, a critic of the PRC [People's Republic of China], and targeting him with violence.' If convicted, Mr Miller could also face the maximum penalties of five years in prison for conspiracy, five years in prison for interstate stalking, and 10 years in prison for smuggling.
