Hyundai Motor Group is planning a major rollout of humanoid robots in U.S. auto factories. The company will deploy more than 25,000 Boston Dynamics Atlas robots at Hyundai and Kia manufacturing facilities, with production capacity of 30,000 units per year by 2028.
Kia CEO Song Ho-sung says the robots will start working at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Georgia in 2028, followed by Kia's Georgia plant in 2029. The robots are designed to handle physically demanding tasks like lifting and carrying, using reinforcement learning and simulation training to adapt to changing conditions.
Unlike traditional robots, Atlas uses proprioception-internal body awareness-to monitor balance and grip in real time. Hyundai plans to manufacture over 300,000 actuator units annually in the U.S., giving the company control over the robot's movement components.
The deployment raises questions about factory jobs, training, and safety. Hyundai says robots will handle dull, dirty, or dangerous tasks, but workers are concerned about job security. The rollout could create new roles in robotics maintenance and safety monitoring while reducing demand for some physically demanding positions.