Robotics startup linked to President Trump tests humanoid robot in Ukraine, targeting US military use

As Silicon Valley races to develop humanoid robots that can fold laundry or pour lattes, at least one startup is eyeing a completely different use for the technology: warfare and other potentially dangerous and deadly jobs.

Foundation Future Industries is a San Francisco-based robotics company with ties to the Trump family that develops “dual-use” autonomous humanoid robots for both heavy industrial environments and military applications.

The robot sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie like The Terminator, but it’s getting closer to reality, with early robots being tested in Ukraine for possible use in Kiev’s war against Russia.

At the core of the company’s mission is the belief that humanoid robotics should be directed toward humanity’s greatest challenges, not domestic or service roles, Sankaet Pathak, CEO of the foundation, told CNBC.

“I believe this technology is getting to the point where it can replace jobs that are too dangerous for humans to do. If we can do that, that’s the highest net benefit that any application of robotics can generate,” Pathak said.

Although the Foundation operates in an increasingly crowded field of humanoids, its explicit embrace of the potential military uses of its technology sets it apart.

But the startup has set itself ambitious goals: Pathak plans to scale production to thousands of units this year and begin front-line testing with the U.S. military within the next 18 months.

This program and the company’s growing relationship with Washington represents another example of how artificial intelligence and robotics are beginning to transform modern warfare and becoming a focus of national security.

Pathak is best known for previously leading Synapse, a controversial fintech platform that declared bankruptcy in 2024. Soon after, he founded a foundation with Arjun Sethi, former CEO of Tribe Capital, and Mike LeBlanc, co-founder of Cobalt Robotics.

Pathak’s latest venture attracted some attention after the company suggested it had close ties to General Motors and could receive investment from the automaker, which GM later claimed rejected.

The foundation would eventually gain even more global recognition by sending two Phantom MK-1 units to Ukraine for pilot demonstrations earlier this year, marking what the company described as the first known deployment of a humanoid robot in a combat arena.

The ongoing experiment, supported by the U.S. government and carried out in cooperation with Ukrainian authorities, focused on logistics in hazardous areas.

Ukraine’s debut was a natural one, as the country, which has an ongoing conflict with Russia, has already emerged as a major testing ground for robotics and AI in combat. The war, now in its fifth year, is using ground robots to deliver supplies to the front lines, and autonomous, AI-enhanced drones for precision strikes and reconnaissance.

Pathak said tests of the MK-1 in Ukraine have already demonstrated the robot’s potential to carry out material pick-ups that often put soldiers at risk.

But while the MK-1 helps demonstrate the usefulness of its core technology, it is far from a super soldier, with a payload of only about 44 pounds and not being waterproof or having enough battery life for large-scale deployment.

The foundation aims to send a new and improved robot to Ukraine this year in the form of Phantom 2, which Pathak says will have “superhuman abilities” and double the payload capacity of Phantom 1.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense declined to comment on the matter, and the U.S. Department of Defense did not respond to inquiries.

The foundation hopes the tests in Ukraine will be useful in future cooperation with the U.S. military. The startup has already received government research contracts totaling $24 million for feasibility testing in inspection, logistics, and weapons handling across the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Pathak said conversations with government officials have shifted from research to how to expand the use of robots. The CEO said the foundation aims to deploy its technology to the U.S. military within the next 12 to 18 months and, if necessary, to the front lines of conflict.

Notably, that goal will be carried out with Eric Trump, the incumbent president’s second son, who recently joined the company as chief strategic advisor. The move has drawn scrutiny from Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who called the company’s government contracts “blatantly corrupt.”

A foundation spokesperson told CNBC that Eric Trump invested in the company before taking over as an advisor and that the two had a shared vision to bring manufacturing back to the United States.

The foundation has leaned heavily toward alignment with Washington interests, framed by the importance of its technology in the broader geopolitical competition between the United States and China. The goal is to provide the U.S. military with “the best robots we can make” that are better than the ones China has, Pathak said.

Several U.S. companies are working with the U.S. government to deploy autonomous robots for military use, but the Pentagon has not yet disclosed whether it will deploy humanoid robots for such purposes.

China, home to many major humanoid robot companies, has also supported efforts in the technology with public funds, primarily focused on industrial and economic applications. Chinese military researchers have published a report on the potential of humanoid robots in the military, but the scope of their testing remains unclear.

The Chinese military has previously shown off early versions of AI-powered combat robot dogs and motion-controlled humanoid robot soldiers.

Proponents of humanoid technology in the military and industrial fields argue that human-like robots are generally better suited than other forms of robots to navigate real-world construction sites, logistics centers, and combat zones.

Katerina Bondar, a senior researcher at CSIS’ Wadhwani AI Center, told CNBC that humanoid robots could theoretically offer certain advantages on the battlefield due to their autonomy and human-like dexterity.

“Modern urban combat spaces, with their staircases, ladders, basements, and narrow hallways, are built for human movement, and humanoid systems may have an advantage over tracked or quadrupedal robots in certain scenarios,” Bonder said.

Still, questions remain about the complexity and cost of manufacturing humanoids compared to other systems.

As humanoid robots make their way to the battlefield, this technology is raising ethical concerns, especially regarding the use of autonomous decision-making in combat where human lives are at stake.

While most weaponized applications for Phantom robots will retain some level of human confirmation in the decision-making loop, the Foundation’s robots will need to make fully autonomous decisions in certain time-critical scenarios, Pathak said.

Still, the U.S. military has already expressed interest in deploying AI models, and the technology is reportedly being used to inform attacks and decision-making in the ongoing conflict with Iran.

A bigger hurdle for companies like the Foundation may be proving that their humanoid robots are more practical and cost-effective for military applications than other commercially available alternatives, although many experts doubt this.

“Making robots look like humans is a complex and expensive engineering challenge, but Ukraine has taught us the opposite: We need the ability to adapt quickly and manufacture quickly and cheaply,” said Melanie Sison, a senior fellow in the Brookings Foreign Policy Program.

Experts seem to agree that the time is coming when AI robots, regardless of their shape or size, will be active in warfare.

“We’re hopeful that tracking robots, flying robots and underwater robots will replace human power,” said Toby Walsh, chief scientist at the University of New South Wales’ AI Institute.

But it may be “a science fiction trope to expect a humanoid Terminator-type robot,” he says.