Overview
- Hyundai’s 40,000‑member labor union warned that no humanoid robots will enter factories without a labor–management agreement, calling the plan a potential employment shock.
- The company has committed to mass‑producing Atlas by 2028, targeting 30,000 units a year and building a U.S. foundry, with initial deployment planned at the Georgia Metaplant.
- Union statements also object to production shifting overseas, citing Hyundai’s plan to expand the Georgia facility to 500,000 vehicles a year by 2028 as a threat to Korean jobs.
- Hyundai says Atlas is intended for repetitive and higher‑risk tasks to reduce physical strain and support co‑working environments rather than replace human roles outright.
- Reports have cited an estimated annual maintenance cost of about KRW 14 million (roughly US$9,500) per unit, feeding debates over the economics of factory automation.