The labour union of Hyundai Motor, South Korea’s top automaker, has declared its strong opposition to the introduction of physical artificial intelligence (AI) robots in automobile production without prior consultation. The union, comprising 40,000 members, emphasized that no humanoid robot would be permitted on the production lines without a labor-management agreement. The unveiling of the new humanoid robot, Atlas, at CES 2026 in Las Vegas has raised concerns over job security at the company’s domestic plants.
The union expressed worries that Hyundai Motor’s move to introduce AI robots is aimed at cutting labor costs at production facilities. They firmly stated that any deployment of AI robots without the union’s agreement would not be accepted. Boston Dynamics, owned by Hyundai Motor, showcased the life-sized Atlas humanoid robot with two arms and two legs at the CES technology exhibition.
Hyundai Motor revealed its intention to establish a robot foundry in the United States by 2028 to mass-produce 30,000 Atlas robots for integration into manufacturing operations. Additionally, the union highlighted concerns about job stability due to the shift of production to overseas plants. They noted that domestic plants are facing production volume shortages as output is being moved to Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia.
The company’s plan to boost Metaplant’s annual output from under 100,000 vehicles to 500,000 units by 2028 indicates a significant shift of domestic production overseas, according to the union. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor Group announced that its brands have received numerous accolades in different vehicle segments at major automotive awards in Britain and the United States. Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. secured a total of seven honors at the ‘2026 What Car?’ Awards, covering their SUV and EV lineups.
