Hyundai Motor Group announced plans to deploy humanoid robots, including the advanced Atlas model, at its manufacturing plant located in Georgia, USA. Their initiative, called the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Pilot Program, aims to increase production capacity. The move fits with the company’s overall investment plans in the United States, which exceeded $20 billion. This step reinforces existing policy initiatives to encourage the growth of domestic manufacturing as technological landscapes continue to rapidly change.
Atlas, the flagship humanoid product of Boston Dynamics, is intended for widespread commercial application. As such, it will operate collaboratively with human employees and autonomously manage tasks that are machine driven. Hyundai operations announced that the Atlas robots will begin production in 2028. As they get into production, they will continue to assume greater responsibility throughout the manufacturing pipeline. As futuristic as the introduction of this particular technology may seem, it’s a testament to Hyundai’s willingness to employ artificial intelligence and robotics into its production lines.
The announcement came during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas, where Hyundai highlighted its vision for the future of automotive manufacturing. Their deployment to the Pacific Northwest has been a giant step forward in automation and efficiency within the industry. This decision closely follows progress on similar efforts by other companies, including Tesla’s investment to develop its own humanoid robot, Optimus.
In addition to deploying Atlas, Hyundai is ramping up its car production capabilities in the US. Meanwhile, the company is still spending billions developing self-driving technology. This historic investment fulfills one of former President Donald Trump’s own signature initiatives – boosting domestic manufacturing in the United States. Hyundai’s commitment to create a sustainable market for innovation in the US market further reflects upon the strategic importance of the US market in the global automotive scene.
Recent developments have put a pall over Hyundai’s operations in the US. In September 2025, US immigration officials conducted a racially targeted raid at a Hyundai plant. This drastic action triggered popular uproar not just in South Korea. Reports went on to show that workers experienced horrific treatment in the wake of the incident. To that end, President Lee Jae Myung and Hyundai’s CEO José Muñoz moved fast. They warned that these kinds of actions would push away foreign investors in the US.
According to sources, the White House later contacted Muñoz to apologize for the whole debacle. That’s why Trump so vociferously condemned the Mar-a-Lago raid. He emphasized the need to work with international specialists to devise the best, bespoke facilities and to train local labour to staff them. This episode sheds light on the broader and oftentimes convoluted dynamics at play between foreign investment and labor relations in the automotive industry.