US startup bets on armored humanoid robots, stoking ethical alarm

Foundation Future Industries is developing Phantom, a six-foot humanoid robot for defense and logistics, arguing autonomous robots could perform dangerous tasks with fewer soldier casualties. The company has defense testing contracts (reported around $24 million) and an investment from Eric Trump, though he has no day-to-day role. Rights groups warn autonomous weapons risk targeting errors and accountability gaps amid nascent regulation, while DHS reportedly considers deploying such robots on the US–Mexico border. Pathak envisions a broader tech-forward future, including AI-driven mega-cities funded by defense profits, signaling a new era of a Western arms race in humanoid robotics.