Good Morning and Happy Tuesday. Welcome to issue 62 of The Tech Stop.

US robotics restrictions and advances in AI automation are reshaping supply chains and labour markets, while increasing AI-driven cyber threats are making stronger security measures essential.

1. The US FCC has added robots to its restricted imports list on national security grounds, directly targeting Chinese manufacturers. Chinese retaliation might affect other components and equipment across the broader supply chain. More.

   
   POV: Audit robotics hardware in the pipeline for Chinese-origin exposure and identify alternative suppliers if appropriate.
   

2. Google has launched Gemini Robotics 2, its most advanced vision-language-action model, enabling humanoid robots to reason and control their full body in response to natural language commands and adapt to new robotic hardware within hours. More.
   
   POV: Assess fit for the highest-labour-intensity processes such as materials handling and quality inspection.
   

3. Data centre construction is pulling skilled trade workers into remote locations with higher pay and signing bonuses, creating direct competition with manufacturing and construction employers. More.
   
   POV: Run a rapid retention risk assessment across skilled trades in the workforce, with particular focus on electricians and HVAC technicians. Model the compensation gap versus data centre market rates.
   

4. IBM's 2026 Cost of a Data Breach report found AI-assisted attacks cost enterprises an average of $6 million per incident, with one in four malicious breaches now AI-enabled. Companies using AI in their own security operations cut breach costs by an average of $2 million. More.

   
   POV: Assess current security posture against IBM's findings, with specific focus on deploying AI-assisted threat detection across operational systems.
   
   Something to keep an eye on: There are 3 things that will burst the AI bubble. 1. Lack of improvement, 2. People not using it, and 3. Running out of power. Nuclear is the answer to number 3.
   
   That’s all of it for this week, see you in another 7 days 👍