Silicon Valley has rung alarm bells over the Trump administration’s latest salvo in its trade war with China — a threat to put export controls on a wide range of emerging technologies including artificial intelligence and robotics. 

US technology companies are concerned that the sweeping nature of the commerce department targets, imposed on national security grounds, could undermine the goal of maintaining a US lead in the sector.

“Unilateral export controls on US companies and US researchers could really disadvantage them,” said Christian Troncoso, head of policy at the BSA/Software Alliance, the industry lobby group. “Overbroad export controls will undermine US national security by disrupting the?.?.?.?innovation that is essential to economic prosperity.”