The Hyundai Motor Company labor union has declared an all-out opposition to the deployment of humanoid robots on production lines, stating that “not a single robot will be allowed on the shop floor” without labor agreement. The statement directly opposes Hyundai Motor Group’s plans to introduce the humanoid robot Atlas, which was unveiled at CES 2026 earlier this month.
The union said the use of AI-powered robots is being driven by cost-cutting measures and warned the company against unilateral technology implementation. “We clearly warn: without labor-management agreement, not even one robot may enter the workplace,” the union said.
At CES 2026, held in Las Vegas from Jan. 6–9, Hyundai Motor Group publicly introduced Atlas for the first time and announced plans to develop into a Physical AI company, with robotics as a key growth engine. The company plans to establish a mass production system for 30,000 Atlas robots by 2028 and deploy them at Hyundai’s U.S. manufacturing hub, Meta Plant America (HMGMA). A Robot Meta Plant Application Center (RMAC) is scheduled to open this year to train robots before they enter production lines.
The union said the CES unveiling shocked the market and expressed concern over the potential impact on employment: “The company plans to mass-produce 30,000 Atlas robots by 2028 and deploy them in production. From a worker’s perspective, this is not a welcome development. Employment shocks are expected if robots are introduced on a large scale,” the union said.
Highlighting the cost advantage of robots over human labor, the union argued: “Assuming an average annual salary of 100 million won, operating three workers 24 hours a day costs 300 million won per year, whereas robots only incur maintenance costs after the initial purchase. This provides a strong incentive for capital owners pursuing long-term profit maximization.”
The union also criticized Hyundai’s plans to expand overseas production. It claimed that domestic plants are facing employment instability due to the transfer of production to HMGMA in Georgia, U.S.:
“Two domestic plants currently face threats to job security due to a lack of production. The cause is the transfer of production volume to HMGMA. The planned expansion of HMGMA’s annual capacity from under 100,000 units to 500,000 units by 2028 clearly signals an intention to move significant production out of Korea,” the union said.
<>President Lee Emphasizes Adaptation to Technological Change
Responding to the dispute, President Lee Jae-myung said on Jan. 29 that technological progress is inevitable and society must adapt quickly.
“One cannot avoid a massive cart rolling toward you. We must adapt quickly to a changing society,” Lee said. He compared the situation to the Industrial Revolution, when the introduction of steam engines and machinery led to movements that destroyed equipment.
“There was a need to operate and repair those machines. We must quickly adapt to similar changes today,” the president added.
