America Requested More Manufacturing Jobs, So Hyundai is Sending Humanoid Robots | Carscoops

      Atlas the robot is set to make its way to the factory floor at Hyundai's plant in Georgia, bringing artificial intelligence along with it.

      Hyundai plans to introduce Atlas robots in Georgia starting in 2028.

      These robots will undertake repetitive and hazardous tasks on the factory floor.

      Labor organizations remain doubtful about long-term job security.

      If you envision a car factory as a large space filled with sparks, conveyor belts, and workers in hard hats, it may be time to revise that image. Hyundai has announced that by 2028, certain operations at its Georgia plant will be performed by a humanoid robot known as Atlas, which walks on two legs similar to a character from a science fiction movie.

      Related: Hyundai’s Latest Robots Could Be Eyeing Your Job

      This is a significant development, particularly in a nation keen on revitalizing manufacturing jobs. However, what is emerging instead is a workforce that is mechanical, programmable, and unflagging. Hyundai's initiative responds to demands for domestic manufacturing while also emphasizing a shift in the concept of “jobs.”

      Atlas is produced by Boston Dynamics, the somewhat intimidating robotics firm that Hyundai acquired in 2021. This robot isn't a novelty designed to dance or fall over for online views; it's engineered for work. It features human-scale hands with tactile sensors, fully rotating joints, and the capability to lift up to 110 pounds (50 kg) without any complaints.

      Initially, Atlas won’t be attaching wheels to vehicles or installing dashboards. Its starting role will involve parts sequencing, which entails moving and organizing components before installation. By 2030, Hyundai anticipates that the robots will be capable of more intricate assembly tasks, assuming they demonstrate safety and reliability.

      It Will Do The Dirty Work

      Hyundai is promoting this initiative as collaboration rather than replacement. The robots will handle mundane, messy, and hazardous tasks, allowing humans to concentrate on oversight, training, and more complex work.

      The company further emphasizes that someone must build, program, maintain, and train the robots, thereby creating new job opportunities even as existing roles evolve.

      However, not everyone is pleased. Labor groups are closely monitoring the situation, and some employees are understandably anxious about the implications of a factory filled with relentless machines on long-term employment (and casual conversations, which we would have thought). Hyundai acknowledges these concerns and insists that human involvement will remain central to the process, even as automation expands.

      What Is Physical AI Really For?

      This initiative is part of Hyundai's broader ambition in what it terms "physical AI," which refers to software intelligence embedded in hardware that can sense, decide, and take action in the real world. The same technology enabling a robot to grasp a car part also supports autonomous driving and smart factories.

      So, indeed, your next Hyundai could have been assisted in its production by a robot resembling a human. It's strange and somewhat disconcerting, but given the potential efficiencies for automakers, it's likely unavoidable, much like the industry-wide transition to Henry Ford’s production line system a century ago.

      Unsurprisingly, Hyundai is not the sole brand embracing this concept. Tesla is developing its own robots, and this year Mercedes began testing its humanoid robots at its Berlin facility.