Fear of humanoid robots spurs human workers to strike at Hyundai auto factory
Summary
Thousands of Hyundai auto workers in South Korea began striking after talks failed over plans to use humanoid robots in their factories. Hyundai plans to introduce more than 25,000 Atlas robots made by Boston Dynamics across its plants, starting with U.S. factories in 2028, raising concerns about job security.Key Facts
- Hyundai workers at its Ulsan plant started a partial strike from July 13 to July 15 and plan four-hour strikes from July 20 to 22.
- The strike is in response to Hyundai's plan to deploy Atlas humanoid robots that can perform various factory tasks.
- Atlas robots are over 6 feet tall, can lift more than 100 pounds, and cost about $130,000 each.
- Hyundai aims to install more than 25,000 Atlas robots in its and Kia’s manufacturing plants worldwide.
- The union wants a fixed salary for workers and a retirement age increase from 60 to 65 to protect workers from automation impacts.
- Boston Dynamics, the maker of Atlas, will become a fully owned subsidiary of Hyundai.
- Other carmakers like Tesla, BMW, and some Chinese EV companies are also testing humanoid robots.
- The global automotive industry has used industrial robots for decades, with over 1 million robots in use worldwide by 2021.
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