Ben

It’s not getting enough attention: HKGov has just quietly expanded the legal toolbox for NatSec authorities. Refusing to hand over passwords or decryption instructions is now itself a crime, punishable by up to 1 yr in prison & a HK$100,000 fine. hongkongfp.com/2026/03/23/hon…

HK police can now demand phone passwords under new national security rules bbc.in/47CjeVh

On Tuesday, I testified before the House Homeland Security Committee on China's strides in robotics and AI. I warned that we lost solar, batteries, and EVs -- now we're at risk of losing robotics and AI. If that happens, it would irreversibly change the balance of power. Five points: 1️⃣ China aims to win the next industrial revolution. PRC leaders believe history is shaped by industrial revolutions. The first, steam power, made Britain dominant. The second and third, electrification and mass manufacturing, made America dominant. China is determined to win the fourth. 2️⃣ In robotics, China is already winning. In 2024, China installed 300,000 new industrial robots. America installed 30,000. China now has over 2 million robots in its factories — five times more than the US. A decade ago, it imported 75% of its robots. Today it makes 60% domestically. This year alone, China may spend $400 billion on industrial policy. The entire US CHIPS Act provided $50 billion across multiple years. If we fall behind here, U.S. reindustrialization becomes farfetched. 3️⃣ In AI, we're ahead — but selling off the advantage. China has more energy, more talent, and makes the edge devices. But America still leads because of chips, according to China's own AI companies. US chips are 4-5x better than China's today. We are debating whether to surrender that edge. 4️⃣ We are inviting risks of cyberespionage and catastrophic cyberattacks. PRC law requires its companies to cooperate with intelligence services and never disclose it. Today's robots carry LiDAR, microphones, and cameras — they are mobile surveillance platforms. But the bigger risk is cyberattack. We know China has compromised our power, gas, water, telecommunications, and transportation infrastructure in preparation for cyberattack. We cannot deploy robots in sensitive facilities from the very country targeting those facilities. 5️⃣ Here's what we must do. Extend ICTS rules to cover Chinese robots. Direct CISA to audit where they're deployed in critical infrastructure. Ban federal procurement of Chinese robotics and AI. Strengthen semiconductor export controls. Stop treating American AI companies with more regulatory scrutiny than Chinese ones. And build allied scale in robotics—a trading bloc with preferential terms for the members that can rival China's scale in in the sector. Thanks to @HomelandDemsIt and @HomelandGOP for the hearing on this topic, and grateful to join @MRobbinsAUVSI and colleagues from Scale and Boston Dynamics for a great discussion.

BREAKING: The U.S. Government has officially announced that @Tesla and LG ​Energy have signed an agreement to ‌build a $4.3 billion lithium iron phosphate (LFP) prismatic battery cell manufacturing factory in Lansing, Michigan, with a 2027 start of production. "American-made cells will power Tesla's Megapack 3 energy storage systems produced in Houston, creating a robust domestic battery supply chain," the U.S. Department of the Interior said in a statement. Here's everything you need to know about Tesla's new Megablock, the latest in the company's industrial storage product lineup, which includes the new Megapack version 3: Megablock: • 23% faster to install with up to 40% lower construction costs • Plug and play platform (hardware, software and services) delivered as one all from Tesla. It's a pre-engineered medium-voltage block that integrates next-gen Megapack 3 • Eliminated above ground cabling between the transformer and the megapacks using new flexible busbar assembly • 91% MV round trip efficiency • 20 MWh of usable AC energy • Operates in temps of -40°C (-40°F) to 60°C (140°F) • 248 MWh per acre • 25-year life & >10,000 cycles • With Megablock, Tesla is targeting to commission 1GWh in 20 business days, equivalent to bringing power to 400,000 homes in less than month Megapack 3: • Will be manufactured in Tesla's upcoming Houston Megafactory starting in late 2026. 50 GWh annual manufacturing capacity when fully ramped. • 5 MWh of usable AC energy • Weight: 86,000 lbs • 28 foot long enclosure that can be shipped globally • Optimized for up to 8-hour applications • New drastically simplified thermal bay. Uses Model Y heat pump, but on steroids. 78% fewer connections, which minimizes failure points • Larger battery module and larger battery cell • 2.8 liter battery cell, co-engineered with Tesla's cell team • LFP battery • Operates in -40°C to 60° • Went from 24 cable connections in Megapack version 2XL, down to 3 simple busbar connections • 75% of the mass of Megapack 3 is battery cells. • A single module in it weighs as much as a Cybertruck • Tesla has enabled easier front access service, so there are no roof penetrations • Drastically simplified bussing system