Panelists say robotics could ease caregiving and revive manufacturing, but supply chains and rules slow adoption
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Summary
Witnesses told the panel robots and physical AI could help address a looming caregiving shortage and reinvigorate U.S. manufacturing, but cited supply‑chain gaps and regulatory barriers — from two‑person rail crew rules to occupational licensing — as obstacles to scaling.
Witnesses told the committee robotics and physical AI offer practical near‑term use cases in manufacturing and senior care, where labor shortages and an aging population create demand for automation.
A robotics company representative said robotics can ‘‘automate so many more things’’ and create a window to bring back manufacturing, but flagged critical supply‑chain gaps such as strain‑wave gearing production that is no longer centered in the U.S.
Chairman noted Japan’s use of automation in elder care and asked whether AI‑enabled wearables combined with regulatory approval could allow devices to support prescribing and home care. He said that if FDA approved AI from wearable datasets, ‘‘should be allowed to prescribe,’’ framing it as a legislative question contingent on agency approval. Witnesses said the issue raises legal and tort considerations that would need to be addressed.
Panelists also pointed to existing legal barriers that effectively prohibit some automation — citing two‑person crew requirements for rail and occupational licensing — and urged careful review of those rules to allow beneficial deployments while protecting safety and workers.
The hearing ended with the chairman asking for written responses and emphasizing the need for flexible, learnable guardrails as technology and business models evolve.