With the advent of the artificial intelligence (AI) era, predictions suggest that the development and introduction of humanoid robots, which can move and reason autonomously, will gain momentum. Big tech corporations such as Nvidia and Amazon are accelerating the development of 'robot brains' to be used in manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare. In Korea, related demand for robots is expected to increase since the so-called 'yellow envelope law (amendment to Articles 2 and 3 of the Labor Union Act)' passed the National Assembly at the end of last month, which raises the risk of union strikes.
Major corporations are currently using industrial robots in manufacturing facilities, but they have been limited to repetitive and predictable tasks. The next generation of humanoid robots is expected to contribute to increased productivity by integrating advanced AI and sophisticated technologies such as visual and tactile sensors, allowing them to recognize their surroundings and make real-time decisions to avoid obstacles, as well as smoothly perform intricate tasks that have been difficult for robots to accomplish previously, such as picking up and moving objects.
According to the industry on the 1st, Nvidia, a leader in AI semiconductors, recently unveiled the next-generation robotics chip module 'Jetson Thor,' which serves as a 'robot brain.' The price for the developer kit is set at $3,499 (about 4.86 million won), allowing clients to utilize it to create various industrial robots in manufacturing, logistics, transportation, healthcare, agriculture, and distribution. Major robotics corporations, including Agility Robotics, Amazon, Boston Dynamics, Figure, and FieldAI, are currently developing robots using the Jetson Thor chip.
Nvidia is focused on seizing the 'robot brain' market to grow its robotics business, which is seen as a next-generation growth engine, and to accelerate the transition to physical AI. Physical AI refers to technology that incorporates AI into devices with a physical presence, such as robots and autonomous vehicles. Jensen Huang, Nvidia's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), noted earlier this year that "after generative AI, physical AI will be next," predicting that the related industry would grow to $50 trillion (about 7 quadrillion won) centered around robots. Although Nvidia does not produce robots directly, it aims to dominate the robotics industry infrastructure by providing chips that serve as the brains of robots and software that functions as neural networks. Deepu Talla, Nvidia's Vice President of Robotics and Edge Computing, said, "We don't make robots or cars, but we support the entire industry with computing infrastructure and related software."
CEO Huang stated, "Robotics will be the biggest growth opportunity after AI," emphasizing that "Jetson Thor is the ultimate supercomputer that will lead the physical AI and general robotics era." Nvidia's automotive and robotics sector revenue is $570 million (about 790 billion won), accounting for only about 1% of total revenue ($44.1 billion), but has increased by 72% compared to the same period last year, indicating rapid growth.
Amazon is also expanding its investments, positioning self-moving and reasoning robots as the next big opportunity. The world's largest e-commerce company is developing humanoid robots to handle tasks such as receiving, storing, ordering, packaging, shipping, and returning products across over 300 logistics centers worldwide. Currently, Amazon has deployed over 1 million robots, including the latest tactile-equipped model 'Vulcan,' in its logistics centers, automating about 75% of overall logistics operations with a goal of achieving 100% automation. As part of this effort, it launched a robot-dedicated generative AI foundation model 'DeepFleet' earlier this year. Amazon explained that "DeepFleet has made it possible to reduce robot transit times within the logistics center by 10%, enabling faster and cheaper delivery services."
The ultimate goal is to develop a humanoid robot model that can deliver products right to customers' doorsteps. The plan envisions the humanoid robot loading goods onto Rivian's unmanned electric vehicles, of which Amazon is the largest shareholder, for direct delivery. To enhance related research, Amazon established the Agentic AI team in June, dedicated to developing multifunctional robot software.
In Korea, the government's promotion policy for physical AI and the passage of the yellow envelope law are expected to increase robot demand. Hyundai Motor announced that it will establish a robot manufacturing plant in the U.S. for about 7 trillion won, aiming to produce 30,000 robots annually to coincide with the summit between South Korea and the U.S. The factory will produce key products from its robot subsidiary, Boston Dynamics, including the bipedal walking robot Atlas, robotic dog Spot, and logistics automation robot Stretch.
Boston Dynamics unveiled the humanoid robot 'Atlas,' which incorporates the Large Behavior Model (LBM) developed in collaboration with Toyota Research Institute last month. LBM is an AI model that supports the recognition of the surrounding environment and autonomous decision-making by learning from data collected from human behavior videos, real experiences, and simulations. Hyundai plans to deploy Atlas in production sites after undergoing advanced iterations. A Hyundai official stated, "When Atlas is deployed for simple repetitive tasks such as parts transportation, it is expected to relieve the burden on workers and enhance productivity and efficiency."
There are analyses suggesting that humanoid robots could serve as a solution to the structural risks posed by labor-management issues in the automotive industry. In fact, following the passage of the yellow envelope law in the National Assembly, robot stocks in the domestic market surged across the board the next day. According to analysis from Samsung Securities, using a robot that costs about $100,000 (approximately 138 million won) for 22 hours a day over five years would result in an hourly expense of $3.40 (approximately 4,700 won), which is half the cost of labor in China.
Amid expectations that humanoid robots will enhance productivity and reduce expenses in industrial sites, the related market is anticipated to grow rapidly. In a report released in May, global investment bank Morgan Stanley projected that by 2050, approximately 1 billion humanoid robots will be deployed worldwide, leading to a related market growth to about $5 trillion (approximately 7,000 trillion won). Morgan Stanley noted that while the adoption of humanoid robots would be relatively slow until the mid-2030s, it would accelerate sharply in the late 2030s and 2040s, with about 90% of humanoid robots likely to be deployed in industrial settings.