Hyundai Motor Group declared on the 5th (local time) a pivot to artificial intelligence (AI) Robotics. It set a goal to build a manufacturing environment where a humanoid robot equipped with advanced AI works alongside people, going beyond robotic arms that assemble parts. The plan is to use data secured from diverse manufacturing sites, from molten steel to finished cars, to train AI and then reapply it to products, creating a virtuous cycle to internalize physical AI technology.
Hyundai Motor Group held a media day under the theme "AI Robotics, from the lab to life" at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on the 5th ahead of CES 2026, the world's largest electronics show. The event was attended by Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon of Hyundai Motor Group, Hyundai Motor President José Muñoz, Hyundai Motor Head of Manufacturing Jeong Jun-cheol (president), and Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter.
◇Robot Atlas at the forefront of the manufacturing transition
The first step in Hyundai Motor Group's AI Robotics era is the Humanoid Robot "Atlas." Hyundai Motor Group and Boston Dynamics unveiled research and development models of the next-generation electric Atlas at this CES 2026. The Atlas research model is an early model built to test core functions. As a humanoid robot, Atlas has joints that rotate 360 degrees, enabling natural walking.
The core is the Atlas development model. It is a Humanoid Robot being unveiled for the first time at this CES 2026. Hyundai Motor Group said that because it is a product trained over a long period through the research model, it is designed for efficient use in real manufacturing sites. In particular, it can learn tasks such as material handling and precision assembly in a day, and when the battery is low, it can charge itself or swap the battery to continue working.
The Atlas development model has 56 degrees of freedom (DoF, the number of ways a system can move or change independently). Most of Atlas's joints can rotate fully. Its human-sized hands have tactile sensors, and a 360-degree camera recognizes all directions. It can also lift up to 50 kg and reach a height of 2.3 meters.
Hyundai Motor Group plans to turn the Atlas development model into a mass-produced Humanoid Robot. The judgment is that humanoids will form the largest market in the physical AI space. To that end, Hyundai Motor Group will deploy the Atlas development model at its new plant in Georgia, "Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA)," starting in 2028.
The Atlas development model will first be applied to processes where safety and quality benefits have been verified, such as parts sorting, and from 2030 it will expand its scope to parts assembly. Ultimately, it will take on tasks that are difficult for humans, including precision work with high physical fatigue. The policy is for humans to train and manage robots and take on higher value-added work.
◇Investing 125.2 trillion won over five years starting this year, focusing on AI Robotics
Hyundai Motor Group will invest a total of 125.2 trillion won in Korea alone from this year through 2030 to build an AI Robotics ecosystem. By domestic standards, it is the largest ever. The plan is to make AI Robotics the group's future growth engine and focus on creating a domestic robotics ecosystem.
Hyundai Motor Group will also push to establish the "Hyundai Motor Group Physical AI Application Center" in Korea to lead the physical AI ecosystem. Based on robot technology using physical AI, it will also build a "robot finished-goods manufacturing and foundry plant." With Atlas and the physical AI center, Hyundai Motor Group plans to expand its industry scope from mobility to Robotics.
In addition, Hyundai Motor Group said it would invest $26 billion (about 38 trillion won) in the United States over four years starting last year. Through this collaboration, it plans to expand partnerships with U.S. corporations in future advanced technologies, including AI and Autonomous Driving, as well as robots. It also plans to build a system capable of producing 30,000 robots annually by 2028 and make this facility a robot production hub in the United States.
A Hyundai Motor Group official said, "Through people-centered automation, we will form a harmonious cooperative and coexisting relationship between humans and robots," adding, "We plan to take the lead in laying the groundwork for robot commercialization."