Imagine a robotics CEO pitching weaponized humanoid over cocktails at the Waldorf Astoria, targeting Trump’s nominee for antisemitism envoy. That’s exactly what happened when Foundation Robotics cofounder Mike LeBlanc met Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun in Washington, discussing robot security for diplomats and synagogues—then connecting with Homeland Security about border patrol applications.
The Phantom Breaks Silicon Valley’s Ethical Code
While competitors pledge restraint, Foundation embraces military contracts worth millions.
Foundation’s Phantom MK1 represents everything most robotics companies publicly avoid. Standing 175 centimeters tall and weighing 80 kilograms, this humanoid delivers 160 Newton-meters of torque with a 20-kilogram payload capacity. More provocatively, Foundation explicitly welcomes weapon attachments and military deployment—a stark contrast to Tesla’s Optimus and Figure AI, which have sworn off weaponization.
The company has already secured $10 million in defense contracts and maintains ongoing discussions with entities like Anduril. LeBlanc dismisses the common tech industry “no-military” pledges, positioning Foundation as pragmatically accepting what others ideologically reject.
Billion-Dollar Bets Drive Military Pivot
Massive investment surge pushes robotics startups toward defense applications.
The numbers explain Foundation’s boldness. Robotics attracted over $2.7 billion in investment this year alone, while defense tech startups pulled in $28 billion—double the 2020 total. Morgan Stanley predicts over a billion operational humanoids by 2030, creating enormous pressure to find profitable applications beyond factory floors.
Yet ethical experts warn of serious risks. Wendell Wallach and Julie Carpenter highlight past incidents involving improvised weaponized robots and battlefield misuse concerns. The technology’s autonomous decision-making capabilities—impressive for navigating stairs and rough terrain—become terrifying when applied to targeting decisions.
The Military-Industrial Silicon Valley Complex
Traditional tech ethics collide with defense industry realities.
Foundation’s approach signals a broader shift in Silicon Valley’s relationship with military applications. Like Palantir before it, the company argues that ethical restraints are naive when facing global competition. This reasoning increasingly resonates as geopolitical tensions drive defense spending and companies chase lucrative government contracts.
Yet the precedent matters enormously. If humanoid robots become commonplace battlefield tools, you’re witnessing the normalization of autonomous warfare systems that science fiction warned against for decades. The question isn’t whether Foundation’s Phantom works—it’s whether we’re ready for the world it represents.