Your upcoming Hyundai could be assembled by a humanoid robot in Georgia.

      CBS

      The latest in car news and reviews, no nonsense

      Our daily newsletter, sent free of charge, delivers the important stories directly to you every weekday.

      Back during the Covid era (which feels like it was ages ago), Hyundai made a significant investment to acquire Boston Dynamics—the company known for its increasingly lifelike (or close to it) robots for over thirty years. Remember the robotic dogs? Certainly. They have humanoid models as well. When the acquisition was first announced, it came shortly after Hyundai introduced some rather peculiar concept vehicles. However, in the short term, the company believes that walking robots could be more effective at manufacturing cars than being cars themselves.

      This idea isn't a novel one. Most assembly lines are heavily automated, utilizing an extensive, interconnected network of robots that don't resemble the sci-fi robots we often envision. These machines vary from autonomous carts and shuttles to large articulated arms capable of welding frames, installing powertrain components, painting body panels, and much more. If you can think of it, there's likely a robot handling that task.

      However, if you scale down that robot, equip it with human-like mobility, and enhance it with artificial intelligence, Hyundai believes it may replace the least reliable component of modern assembly lines: human workers. Enter Atlas, one of those humanoid robots I previously mentioned. Interestingly, Atlas can do more than just evade a hockey stick.

      Hyundai and Boston Dynamics have been training Atlas to perform various tasks on the assembly line. Unlike the specialized machines currently operating at Hyundai’s “Metaplant” in Georgia, Atlas offers greater flexibility—one might even describe it as more human-like. It can assist with assembly, sort parts, and even conduct inspections with the same adaptability as a human worker, but without the fragility and unpredictability that accompany us mere mortals. For those in the manufacturing field, this is certainly enticing.

      That being said, neither company anticipates that these robots will fully replace human workers, except for menial, hazardous, or physically demanding tasks. Additionally, the production of the robots themselves will generate job opportunities as well.

      “These robots are not so autonomous that they don’t need to be managed,” stated Boston Dynamics CEO Steve Glaser in an interview with 60 Minutes. “They need to be built. They need to be trained. They need to be maintained.”

      And if you're worried about immediate job losses, don't be concerned. Hyundai claims it will take “years” before even a single Atlas robot is prepared to work on the assembly line full-time.

      Have a news tip? Reach out to us at [email protected]!