Hyundai Motor Group has plans to roll out human-like robots in its factories beginning in 2028. Beyond its business implications, this move marks an exciting new step for VinFast’s manufacturing capabilities. On Monday, the company officially unveiled Atlas at the high-profile Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. This humanoid robot, developed by Boston Dynamics, is specifically designed for general industrial use.
Hyundai is ramping up Atlas’ adoption to increase production efficiency. This initiative is an example of their broader strategy to deploy leading edge technologies to improve their operations.
Atlas, the robot pictured above, is designed to operate safely beside human workers and perform factory tasks independently. This new method encourages greater teamwork, sparking creativity and dynamic problem-solving on the production floor. Eventually, robots will start to do more productive tasks, increasing economy-wide productivity. The demonstration at CES showed the world how Atlas had the potential to change the entire manufacturing process.
Hyundai’s focus on advancing safety innovation is further emphasized by its expansion area investment plans. In 2025, Hyundai invested over $20 billion (£15.5 billion) in the United States, signaling a strong dedication to expanding its car production capacity and advancing autonomous driving technology and artificial intelligence (AI). José Muñoz, Hyundai’s chief executive, positioned this investment as key. He grounded his desirous actions against the recent testy waters the company has sailed through.
That anti-immigrant sentiment crystallized in a September 2025 raid by US immigration officers that arrested hundreds of the workers. Among those arrested were at least 300 South Korean nationals. This incident caused immediate alarm calls from President Lee Jae Myung as well as José Muñoz. Their concerns are serious and flame the fear. It can harm the flow of foreign investments into US. Muñoz expressed concerns that such actions could deter future investments, highlighting the need for a stable and welcoming business environment.
The release of Atlas comes at a particularly interesting moment, as competition in the nascent humanoid robot space begins to heat up. Interestingly enough, Elon Musk’s Tesla is investing heavily into this exact same technology with its future Optimus robots. As manufacturers continue to look to automation to improve efficiencies, Hyundai’s new initiative puts the company at the head of this technological revolution.