Hyundai’s labour union in South Korea has warned that deploying co-working humanoid robots without union approval would result in ‘employment shocks’, according to a Reuters report.
At the CES earlier this month, Hyundai Motor Group said its Atlas robot is scheduled to be deployed at its Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America facility by 2028 to carry out sequencing tasks.
The robot is intended to take on higher-risk work, reduce physical strain on workers and support the development of collaborative human-robot factory environments, while contributing to future robot commercialisation.
"Remember that without labour–management agreement, not a single robot using new technology will be allowed to enter the workplace," the union said in a note seen by Reuters.
Hyundai has also said it aims to build a factory capable of manufacturing at scale (30,000 robot units annually by 2028).
The Reuters report said the union accused Hyundai of seeking to boost profits by deploying robots to reduce the workforce.
Hyundai has said the Atlas humanoid robot presents a groundbreaking leap in robotics innovation designed for industrial applications. As a ‘general-purpose humanoid’, Atlas is built to integrate with existing facilities, ensuring the flexibility to adapt as business needs evolve while prioritizing safety, reliability, and predictability.
The company has also emphasised that the ‘human-centred AI Robotics’ has been created to assist and collaborate with individuals. It says co-working robots are being designed to assist and collaborate with people starting from manufacturing environments, performing hazardous and dangerous, as well as repetitive tasks.
