The Download: US robot restrictions, and ICE’s DNA grab

The Federal Trade Commission issued a sweeping ban on foreign imports of advanced robots, including humanoids, quadrupeds, and wheeled robots, marking an expansion of the Trump administration's AI protectionism into the emerging robotics sector. The ban, reported by MIT Technology Review, signals a willingness to protect nascent industries beyond leading AI labs, though its full impact remains to be analyzed.

The Download: US robot restrictions, and ICE’s DNA grab This is today's edition of The Download https://forms.technologyreview.com/newsletters/briefing-the-download/? ga=2.179569122.736533416.1649661040-405833893.1649413289 , our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. Trump’s AI protectionism has come for robotics —James O’Donnell Humanoid robots usually elicit more cringe than awe: They stumble https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/robotics/qualcomm-powered-robot-collapses-spectacularly-on-stage-during-presentation-prepared-stagehands-rush-to-cloak-and-then-carry-off-stricken-humanoid?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID , kick children https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BojeUP0 m w?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID , and despite advances are still worse at using their hands https://www.wired.com/story/the-1x-neo-robot-has-freaky-fast-fingers/?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID than my toddler. It’s a nascent industry, and such robots are more commonly seen in viral videos than real workplaces or homes. It was a surprise, then, when last week the Federal Trade Commission issued a sweeping ban https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-423682A1.pdf?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID on foreign imports of advanced robots, including humanoids, quadrupeds, and wheeled robots. The decision should be understood not as another chapter in the old China trade playbook, but as evidence that the Trump administration is expanding its protection of the AI industry beyond today’s leading labs. It is now willing to step in on behalf of an emerging robotics sector that is still barely finding its footing. Read our analysis to understand the ban’s potential impact https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/08/03/1141056/trumps-ai-protectionism-has-come-for-robotics/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term=%3C%3C%20Test%20Class%20%3E%3E&utm content=08-04-2026&mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID . This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter all about the latest goings-on in the world of AI. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Monday. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 ICE collected nearly one million people’s DNA last year Most of them have never been convicted of any crime. Wired https://www.wired.com/story/ice-dna-collection-fbi-codis/?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID $ 2 China is poised to win the technologies of the future It’s already a high-tech hardware powerhouse, but it increasingly has its sights set on software too. New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/08/10/the-future-made-in-china?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID $ + US tech and political leaders are freaking out, but few seem to agree how to respond. Vox https://www.vox.com/politics/497534/chinese-ai-moonshot-kimi-deepseek-open-weight?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID $ + What’s next for Chinese open-source AI. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/02/12/1132811/whats-next-for-chinese-open-source-ai/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term=%3C%3C%20Test%20Class%20%3E%3E&utm content=08-04-2026&mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID 3 AI “tokenomics” is a burgeoning new field Businesses are pouring a lot of money into AI. Now they want to see what they’re getting in return. NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/03/business/economy/ai-spending-tokenomics.html?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID $ + Why it’s proving so hard to make AI pay. BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c872r52x7jgo?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID + The US economy is becoming more and more reliant on the AI boom. WSJ https://www.wsj.com/economy/the-ai-boom-is-transforming-the-american-economy-beyond-recognition-c7825b31?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID $ 4 Eli Lilly is letting people apply to try an unapproved obesity drug Retatrutide is still in clinical trials, but certain patients can gain early access. STAT https://www.statnews.com/2026/08/03/eli-lilly-retatrutide-mystery-patient-doctors-seek-same-access-their-patients/?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID $ + Montana’s plan to become an experimental medical hub just pushed forward . MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/07/30/1140942/montana-experimental-medical-hub-pushed-forward-right-to-try/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term=%3C%3C%20Test%20Class%20%3E%3E&utm content=08-04-2026&mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID 5 Inside the one US town that wants a data center Jay in Maine is a reminder that politics is all about the local. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/08/jay-maine-wants-data-center/688043?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID $ + How data centers broke US politics. Wired https://www.wired.com/story/how-data-centers-broke-american-politics/?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID $ 6 Flock license plate readers can have a shockingly high error rate In one California town, Flock misread license plates in 71% of the alerts it sent to police. BI https://www.businessinsider.com/flock-camera-misread-license-plate-reader-california-roseville-police-2026-7?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID $ + A leaked guide shows how Flock teaches cops to promote its tech . 404 Media https://www.404media.co/own-the-narrative-leaked-flock-guide-shows-how-it-teaches-cops-to-promote-its-tech/?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID $ 7 A drone explosion on a beach in Russia killed seven people It seems to have been caused by Russian forces shooting down a Ukrainian drone. CNN https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/03/europe/ukrainian-drone-southern-russia-beach-intl?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID + A US company won a $100 million deal to give Ukrainian drones an AI upgrade. Ars Technica https://arstechnica.com/ai/2026/08/ukraines-drones-get-ai-upgrades-for-kamikaze-strikes-future-swarm-attacks/?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID + Europe’s drone-filled vision for the future of war. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2026/01/06/1129737/autonomous-warfare-europe-drones-defense-automated-kill-chains/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term=%3C%3C%20Test%20Class%20%3E%3E&utm content=08-04-2026&mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID 8 How car headlights became so bright Lots of modern cars still blind other drivers on the road. That could change soon though, thanks to new tech. Ars Technica https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/08/how-headlights-got-brighter-whiter-and-more-blinding-after-dark/?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID 9 A $2 million crime novel deal collapsed over AI use concerns And the agent and the writer involved have, erm...rather differing accounts of what happened. Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jul/31/crime-novel-deal-collapses-questions-ai-jerry-falade-call-me-ill-hide-the-body?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID 10 AI matchmaking services are on the rise 💑🤖 Online daters hope it might prove better at finding them love than fruitless swiping. WSJ https://www.wsj.com/articles/ai-dating-apps-love-b594c091?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID $ Quote of the day “Just a little too pleasant to be human.” —North Carolina resident Kristen Charpentier tells Wired https://www.wired.com/story/ai-conquered-coding-fast-food-is-next/?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID how she could tell she was talking to AI when ordering at a Dairy Queen drive-thru. One More Thing How to have a child in the digital age Before journalist and culture critic Amanda Hess even got pregnant with her first child, in 2020, the internet knew she was trying. She saw pregnancy ads way before a doctor. Hess’s experience is pretty typical these days, but still raises some big questions. How do we retain control over our bodies when corporations have access to our most personal information? What happens when people stop relying on friends and family for advice on having a kid and instead go online? Read our interview with Hess to learn what she has to say https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/18/1111419/amanda-hess-second-life-online-internet-targeted-ads-period-tracking/?utm source=the download&utm medium=email&utm campaign=the download.unpaid.engagement&utm term=%3C%3C%20Test%20Class%20%3E%3E&utm content= %7CDATE:m-d-Y%7C&mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID . —Alison Arieff We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. Got any ideas? Drop me a line . + Brighten your day with this eight-minute video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Rf0dIk Eec&mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID of the world's cutest baby animals. + Intertapes https://intertapes.net/?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID has assembled a remarkable treasure trove of cassette tapes found around the world. + Armchair basketball GMs can finally put their talents to the test in this game that lets you draft an elite NBA team https://www.82-0.com/?mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID . + Here's a hilarious look at the lost recordings of Robin Williams voicing the Genie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dQNj8x9ka8&mc cid=ff3fae85e5&mc eid=UNIQID in Disney's “Aladdin.” Deep Dive The Download The Download: Claude’s inner workings and OpenAI’s “super app” Plus: OpenAI has unveiled its long-awaited "super app." The Download: Claude’s inner workings, and the future of world models Plus: New York has become the first state to enact a data center moratorium. The Download: the future of chipmaking and Anthropic’s government clash Plus: Meta is pausing an AI training program that tracks workers’ keystrokes. The Download: AI hacking beyond Mythos, and chatbots’ impact on our brains Plus: Anthropic has called for a global slowdown in AI development. Stay connected Get the latest updates from MIT Technology Review Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.