China to give humanoid robots national IDs like humans
What's the story
China is planning to give a digital identity to every humanoid robot manufactured in the country. The move is part of a national initiative called the Humanoid Full Lifecycle Management Service Platform. The program, led by the Humanoid Robotics and Embodied Intelligence Standardization (HEIS) committee under China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, aims at assigning unique codes to human-shaped AI-driven bipedal robots.
Lifecycle management
Unique codes to track robots throughout their lifecycle
The unique codes assigned to the humanoid robots will be used to track them throughout their lifecycle, from production to recycling. The system is designed to ensure products can be traced in order to monitor for risks. This is part of China's effort to regulate the fast-developing industry and promote growth by establishing industry standards and strengthening regulation.
Regulatory framework
Guidelines released
Along with the digital ID initiative, China has also released guidelines for the lifecycle management of humanoid robots and instructions on how the ID should be used. These guidelines apply to all stakeholders across the humanoid industry and supply chain. This includes manufacturers, service providers, the sellers, users, and recycling facilities. Yu Xiuming from China Electronics Standardization Institute (CESI) emphasized this broad applicability of the new regulations.