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The overlooked danger of Chinese self-driving cars on roads in America

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The overlooked danger of Chinese self-driving cars on roads in America

Self-driving cars are gaining traction in the U.S., and while Elon Musk’s Tesla is leading this new automobile category, many new companies have started to emerge or are in the making. However, a Fortune report has highlighted how these self-driving cars, particularly those with Chinese origins, pose a grave danger to Americans.

Fortune reported that self-driving cars owned by Chinese companies have traversed 1.8 million miles in California alone, collecting all sorts of data that is sent back to their home country. The report mentioned how this data could be used for espionage and even war planning by China if it were ever to come to that.

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Self-driving car (WeRide) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Chinese self-driving cars and their data collection

A total of 35 companies have been approved by the state to test their self-driving cars, and seven of them reportedly are wholly or partly China-based. Five of these companies drove on California roads last year – WeRide, Baidu’s Apollo, AutoX, Pony.ai and DiDi Research America – collectively traveling 1.8 million miles. Some Chinese companies have also been approved to test in Arizona and Texas.

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These cars capture video of their surroundings and map the state’s roads to within two centimeters of precision. After collecting this data, these companies transfer it from the cars to data centers, which are sometimes based in China. The publication cites experts who claim that this situation leaves the data accessible to the Chinese government.

Baidu’s privacy policies mention that any data may be processed and stored in China. According to the report, Pony.ai transmitted U.S. data to China until 2021.

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Self-driving car (Baidu’s Apollo) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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How is this data collection dangerous?

Fortune didn’t present any evidence that the Chinese government is exploiting the data collected by self-driving cars or that these companies are actually giving Beijing control over their data. However, the publication pointed out that the U.S. government doesn’t verify what data is being shared and doesn’t have a proper agency handling the issue.

The report notes that the data from self-driving cars, which use lidar technology to create detailed 3D maps, could be exploited by foreign adversaries for mass surveillance and military planning. While these maps help autonomous vehicles navigate, their detail makes them valuable for military and intelligence purposes.

Lidar, also used by the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan, can map battlefields and monitor threats. At a societal level, this technology can track individuals’ movements, including visits to sensitive locations like places of worship and domestic abuse shelters.

The inside of a self-driving car while moving (AutoX) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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What’s being done about this?

These self-driving cars from Chinese companies are prompting regulatory action. While these vehicles offer advanced technology, they also, as we mentioned, present potential risks related to data collection and national security. The U.S. government is taking steps to address these concerns, with Rep. Elissa Slotkin introducing a bill to formalize national security reviews of Chinese-made connected vehicles.

This move mirrors China’s strict data security laws, which require companies like Tesla to store data locally and partner with Chinese firms. The U.S. is considering similar measures to regulate data collection and storage by Chinese automotive companies operating in America. As the technology evolves, balancing innovation with national security remains a key challenge for policymakers.

Self-driving car (Pony.ai) (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Kurt’s key takeaways

The rise of Chinese-made self-driving cars in the U.S. highlights the complex balance between technological innovation and national security. While these vehicles offer significant advancements, the data they collect poses potential risks that cannot be ignored. The U.S. government’s move to scrutinize and regulate this data collection is a necessary step. As this technology evolves, so, too, must our approach to regulating it, ensuring that innovation serves the public interest while safeguarding national security.

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What types of data collection do you think should be restricted or regulated for foreign tech companies operating in the U.S.? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

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Technology

Apple’s website leaks MacBook ‘Neo,’ which could be its new cheaper laptop

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Apple’s website leaks MacBook ‘Neo,’ which could be its new cheaper laptop

During Apple’s week-long product launch event on Tuesday, a listing for the “MacBook Neo (Model A3404)” appeared on a regulatory compliance page on Apple’s website under its line-up of 2026 MacBooks. First spotted by MacRumors, the listing appears to be an accident and has since been removed, but may have been a leaked reference to a rumored entry-level MacBook. Unfortunately, it didn’t include any additional details beyond the device’s name and model number.

The lower price and an “entirely new design” could help the new MacBook appeal to students and casual users, competing with Chromebooks and low-cost Windows laptops. A more affordable MacBook could be especially appealing after Apple announced the M5 MacBook Air on Tuesday, which has a higher starting price than last year’s Air.

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China’s compact humanoid robot shows off balance and flips

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China’s compact humanoid robot shows off balance and flips

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Humanoid robotics companies have already shown their machines can run at 22 mph, land backflips and even pull off front flips. So the new proving ground is not raw speed or acrobatics. It is control when something unexpected happens. That is where the EngineAI PM01 humanoid robot comes in.

In newly released footage, the compact humanoid keeps dancing after being deliberately pushed off balance. It performs a controlled forward slip, absorbs the disruption and smoothly regains rhythm within seconds. The motion looks fluid and surprisingly natural.

Then it lands another front flip, this time as part of a broader demonstration of balance and recovery.

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EngineAI pushes back on CGI skepticism as its PM01 humanoid robot demonstrates controlled recovery and dynamic motion. (Liu Lihang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

EngineAI PM01 humanoid robot shows advanced balance control

Speed gets attention. Recovery earns trust. When someone shoves the PM01, it does not freeze. It recalculates its center of mass, adjusts joint torque and corrects posture in real time. That level of control depends on tight coordination between sensors, actuators and AI algorithms. The front flip adds another challenge.

Front flips are typically harder than backflips. Rotating forward shifts the body weight ahead of the support base. That makes landings less forgiving. The EngineAI PM01 humanoid robot executes the move with coordinated arm swing, core stabilization and accurate landing mechanics. This is not about flashy tricks. It is about controlled dynamic motion under stress.

Why the compact size of the EngineAI PM01 matters

The PM01 stands just under 4 feet tall. That smaller build works to its advantage. A lower center of mass reduces tipping risk and requires less rotational force during flips. Its lighter structure also helps distribute impact forces more efficiently when it lands.

By comparison, EngineAI’s larger SE01 stands about 4 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 88 pounds. The PM01 is roughly 10.5 inches shorter and about 17.6 pounds lighter. That size difference makes it more agile in research and development settings.

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Full-sized humanoids face greater mechanical stress during high-impact maneuvers. They need stronger actuators, reinforced joints and heavier structural support to stay stable. Compact robots like the EngineAI PM01 can achieve advanced movement with less overall strain.

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The PM01 robot stands on display at EngineAI’s robot retail flagship store in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province of China. Newly released footage shows the PM01 humanoid absorbing a push and recalculating its center of mass within seconds. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

AI hardware powering the EngineAI PM01 humanoid robot

Under the hood, the EngineAI PM01 humanoid robot combines advanced perception with serious computing power. It uses an Intel RealSense depth camera for visual awareness and spatial mapping. A dual-chip setup integrates Nvidia Jetson Orin with an Intel N97 processor. That architecture supports real-time AI workloads and rapid balance correction when the robot is pushed or slips.

The robot features 24 degrees of freedom, including 12 joint motors. This design allows smooth coordinated movement across its limbs and torso. In the small humanoid segment, PM01 competes with models like the Unitree G1 and the Booster T1. It walks at up to about 4.5 miles per hour, faster than the T1, though still below some larger high-speed humanoid platforms built for sprint performance.

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EngineAI appears less focused on headline-grabbing speed and more focused on refined stability and controlled motion.

EngineAI pushes back against CGI claims

As humanoid videos go viral, skepticism follows. EngineAI recently addressed CGI accusations by releasing footage of its T800 humanoid physically interacting with its CEO. The company clearly wants to demonstrate that its robots operate in the real world.

That credibility push matters. In a crowded robotics market, bold claims are common. Physical demonstrations help separate engineering progress from digital effects.

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The nearly 4-foot-tall EngineAI PM01 uses AI-powered sensors and joint motors to recover from slips and continue moving. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

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What this means to you

Right now, this looks like a polished demo. However, balance and recovery are critical for real-world use. If humanoid robots are going to work in warehouses, hospitals or our homes, they must handle bumps, slips and unexpected contact without causing damage. A machine that can brace itself, fall safely and stand back up is far more practical than one that performs a single choreographed stunt. As humanoids move closer to everyday environments, resilience becomes just as important as athletic performance. The more stable they are, the more comfortable people will feel sharing space with them.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Humanoid robots can already run fast, flip and move with serious athletic ability. What companies are racing to perfect now is something more practical: balance when things go wrong. The EngineAI PM01 humanoid robot shows how compact design and real-time correction can help a machine stay upright, recover quickly and keep moving without chaos. That kind of control matters far more in a crowded warehouse, hospital hallway or public space than a perfectly staged stunt. We are starting to see the shift from viral demo moments to robots built for everyday reliability. The real breakthrough is not the flip. It is what happens after the push.

When humanoid robots can absorb a shove, land a flip and get back to work without missing a beat, how close are we to seeing them in your neighborhood? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Anthropic upgrades Claude’s memory to attract AI switchers

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Anthropic upgrades Claude’s memory to attract AI switchers

Anthropic is making it easier to switch to its Claude AI from other chatbots with an update that brings Claude’s memory feature to users on the free plan, along with a new prompt and dedicated tool for importing data from other chatbots. These upgrades could allow users who have been using rivals like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini to quickly copy the data their preferred AI has collected on them and bring it over to Anthropic’s chatbot. That way, they don’t have to “start over” teaching Claude the context and history their previous chatbot already knows.

The option to import and export memories from Claude has been available since October, when Anthropic also rolled out the option for users to turn on Claude’s memory. Up until now, the memory feature was only available to users on paid Claude subscriptions, but now all Claude users can turn it on by going into “settings” then “capabilities.” This menu is also where users can find the new memory importing tool, which has users copy a pre-written prompt into their previous AI then copy the output from that prompt back into Claude’s importing tool.

Anthropic is introducing the upgraded memory importing tool as Claude is seeing a rise in popularity, driven by tools like Claude Code and Claude Cowork. Last month, Anthropic launched its new Opus 4.6 and Sonnet 4.6 models, which the company says are better at coding and completing complex tasks like working through a spreadsheet or filling out forms.

Anthropic has also been experiencing a spike in attention recently after pushing back against demands from the Pentagon to loosen the guardrails on its AI models, with the company stating publicly that they drew “red lines” around mass surveillance and fully autonomous lethal weapons.

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