The Hyundai Motor labor union on the 22nd officially voiced opposition to the Humanoid Robot that Hyundai Motor Group has set as a future growth engine. The union is targeting the humanoid robot Atlas, first unveiled at CES 2026, a home appliances and IT exhibition held earlier this month, raising concerns about conflict between Hyundai Motor Group and the union.

The Hyundai Motor chapter of the Korean Metal Workers' Union said in a newsletter that day, "The overseas volume transfer and introduction of new technology (robot automation) is a one-way push without labor-management agreement," adding, "We can never tolerate it." It added, "If robots are deployed on the production floor, an employment shock is expected," and "Keep in mind that not a single robot can enter the floor without a labor-management agreement."

At a Hyundai Motor Group press conference at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, on the 5th, a day before the opening of CES 2026, Zak Jackowski, head of Boston Dynamics' Atlas development, and Aya Darbin, head of Boston Dynamics' humanoid application strategy, present a next-generation electric Atlas development model. /Courtesy of News1

Earlier, Hyundai Motor Group unveiled Atlas for the first time during Media Day ahead of the opening of CES 2026 in Las Vegas on the 5th (local time). Along with this, it presented a concrete roadmap to mass-produce 30,000 Atlas units by 2028 by pooling group capabilities and to deploy them on manufacturing sites. The aim was to transform into a physical artificial intelligence (AI) corporations through Atlas.

The union said in the newsletter that day, "Hyundai Motor's main business is 'automobile production and sales,'" adding, "We don't know whether to laugh or cry as the company is being valued beyond a simple automaker into a robot and AI corporations." It continued, "Keep in mind that not a single robot can enter the floor without a labor-management agreement," and argued, "Based on an average annual salary of 100 million won, operating 24 hours requires three workers (300 million won) in labor costs, but for robots, only maintenance costs occur after the initial purchase price, which gives capitalists seeking to maximize profit a good pretext."

It also mentioned that Hyundai Motor is expanding production volume in the United States. Hyundai Motor Group has announced plans to expand facilities at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia to establish a system capable of producing 500,000 units by 2028.

The union said, "Currently, two domestic plants face threats to job security due to a lack of production volume," adding, "The cause is that volume was transferred to HMGMA." It added, "A unilateral transfer of overseas volume openly ignores the union," and, "We can never tolerate a one-way push without a labor-management agreement."

※ This article has been translated by AI. Share your feedback here.