Last week, Hyundai Motor Group announced a new plan to introduce humanoid robots to all of the company’s factories by 2028. This transition represents an important step toward greater automation on the manufacturing floor. On Monday, the Boston Dynamics company that developed its humanoid robot, Atlas, unveiled it at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. This extraordinary robotic masterpiece was engineered by Boston Dynamics. This new initiative should increase their productivity, as they work to add more high tech processes to their production lines.
Hyundai’s chief executive, José Muñoz, drove home the significance of this technological breakthrough while unveiling it at CES. Atlas, built for broad industrial applications, is meant to cooperate with human workers and take care of machines independently. Hyundai is slowly rolling out Atlas across its production lines. This strategic shift will streamline inefficiency and allow the company to better respond to an evolving manufacturing economy.
In a broader context, Hyundai Motor Group is set to invest more than $20 billion (£15.5 billion) in the United States by 2025. This incredible investment builds strongly on President Donald Trump’s promise to bring good jobs back to American manufacturing. It contains blueprints to ramp up electric vehicle production and get China’s driverless cars on the road by investing in commercial autonomous driving technology and artificial intelligence (AI). This decision is a testament to Hyundai’s belief in innovation and cooperative efforts with the U.S. government to strengthen local manufacturing capabilities.
The firm’s current crisis has sparked worries about foreign investment in America. In September 2025, U.S. immigration officers conducted a surprise raid—the third such raid this year—on Hyundai’s large manufacturing plant, arresting hundreds of immigrant workers. The beating ignited an international backlash, particularly from South Koreans, and forced Muñoz to hold a direct accountability space. He recalled that the White House contacted him personally to give an apology for the May 2018 raid. He noted that this type of incident could have a chilling effect on future foreign investments.
Muñoz, along with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, made sure their objections were heard. They are especially concerned about how these actions would affect US business’ relations with the international community. This unfortunate raid helps to highlight the challenging balance between labor regulations and corporate investment strategies.
As Hyundai moves forward with its plans for automation and investment in the United States, it remains focused on enhancing its workforce through technological advancements like Atlas. The lifelike android embodies an era in which people and robots collaborate and augment one another’s capabilities. It provides an inspiring foundation for a more connective approach to American manufacturing.