Major Union Warning Against Humanoid Robots,”No Robot Will Enter The Factory!”

At the Consumer Electronics Show, Hyundai unveiled the latest generation of its humanoid robot, Atlas. Atlas was developed by Boston Dynamics, known for its dog-like robot already in use at Volvo’s Ghent factory, among other locations. Boston Dynamics and Hyundai are no strangers to each other, as Hyundai Motor Company has been the parent company of the American robotics expert since 2020. A major Korean Hyundai union is raising the alarm about the rise of humanoid robots and fears significant job losses.

Hyundai has already indicated that it will deploy its humanoid robots in the United States at its Georgia factory in 2028. There, the robots will be deployed in areas where they have proven safety and quality benefits, according to Hyundai. By 2030, the Atlas robots will perform more tasks and will also be used in assembly lines. Hyundai Motor Group aims to produce around 30,000 humanoid robots annually. Hyundai: “The Hyundai Group aims to gradually roll out the deployment of the robots to all its production sites.” In other words, jobs are at stake, and a major Korean labor union is concerned, according to reports from Korean media and Reuters. “We will never tolerate unilateral decisions to move production overseas, introduce new technologies (robot automation), or operate without an agreement between employer and employee,” the union emphasizes.

The union is warning Hyundai, saying it cannot use robots without its approval. It says the use of robots will send shockwaves through the workforce. The union says Hyundai wants to increase profits by reducing its workforce through the use of robots.

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