Hyundai's Muñoz says Atlas robots won't take jobs, reaffirms commitment to 'physical AI'

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Hyundai's Muñoz says Atlas robots won't take jobs, reaffirms commitment to 'physical AI'

Published: 15 Apr. 2026, 18:19

SARAH CHEA
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Hyundai Motor CEO José Muñoz speaks at Semafor World Economy 2026 in Washington, D.C., on April 14. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Hyundai Motor CEO José Muñoz stressed that the Atlas humanoid robot won't be used as a tool for work force reduction, reaffirming his commitment to robotics.

“We do not view robots as a means of work force reduction; robots are meant to make workers' lives more comfortable," Muñoz said at Semafor World Economy 2026 in Washington on Tuesday, a gathering hosted by the U.S.-based global digital news platform Semafor and often likened to an American version of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“Increasing productivity, reducing costs and improving quality is precisely what we aim to achieve through 'physical AI,'” he added. “By deploying Boston Dynamics' Atlas on production lines, we will be able to see humanoids that assist with work that is difficult for humans to perform.”

His remarks come after Hyundai Motor’s labor union opposed the deployment of Atlas robots on factory floors, citing job security concerns and vowing that not a single unit would be introduced without union consent.

Hyundai unveiled Atlas, developed by its subsidiary Boston Dynamics, at CES 2026 in January and announced its plans to deploy it in production by 2028.

The research version of Atlas, left, stands alongside its mass-production variant at CES 2026. [YONHAP]

Muñoz also pointed to Hyundai’s “ability to immediately provide what customers want” as a key driver of its success.

“We have pursued a strategy of parallel deployment of internal combustion engines, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and EVs,” he said. “Based on this strategy, we made the decision to conduct hybrid production at HMGMA [Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America], which broke ground last year.

Hyundai Motor is set to begin hybrid production at its Georgia plant in September, with the first model to be the Sportage, Kia’s best-selling vehicle in the United States, as reported exclusively by the Korea JoongAng Daily in March.

Muñoz also spoke about his vision for autonomous driving as Hyundai recently joined forces with Nvidia for advanced self-driving technologies.

“In the future, you will be able to see Ioniq 5 autonomous vehicles throughout the United States,” he said. “Hyundai Motor Group will also deploy proprietary technologies on a large scale through Motional, and in the future, more autonomous driving technology will be equipped in consumer vehicles as well.”

Currently, Ioniq 5 robotaxis, developed in partnership with Google Waymo, are operating in San Francisco, while Motional is running Ioniq 5-based robotaxi services in Las Vegas.

BY SARAH CHEA [[email protected]]