Tour of Hyundai Metaplant America's assembly facility
Highlights from the Hyundai Metaplant America Media Tour in Bryan County, Georgia. Includes stamping, wealding, and general assembly.
- Hyundai Motor Group plans to use AI-powered Atlas robots at its electric vehicle factory in Georgia by 2028.
- Robots designed by Boston Dynamics handle repetitive, physically demanding, or potentially dangerous tasks.
- Officials say the goal is to improve worker safety and create new highly skilled jobs in robotics and engineering.
Hyundai Motor Group is bringing new meaning to cutting-edge technology through the use of AI-powered robots.
The South Korean automaker unveiled its AI robotics strategy on Monday at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and said in a press release from HMG that it will leverage the assistance of Atlas robots at Hyundai Motor Group's MetaPlant America by 2028. The robot will be used to facilitate a variety of tasks at the Bryan County Electric Vehicle Plant. It is unclear how many robots will be used at Metaplant or where the robots will be manufactured. The robot was designed by Boston Dynamics.
“By 2030, applications will extend to the assembly of components, and over time Atlas will also take on tasks involving repetitive movements, heavy loads and other complex operations, ensuring a safer working environment for factory employees. As its performance is validated, the group aims to gradually expand its implementation across production sites,” the press release states.
The Atlas robot can lift up to 110 pounds and features automatic battery swapping for continuous operation. They are designed for use in environments that require heavy labor.
Through “human-centered automation,” robots will be deployed to perform repetitive and potentially dangerous or physically challenging tasks, according to Jose Muñoz, president and chief operating officer of Hyundai Motors.
“By letting Atlas and our other robotic systems do this work, we can reduce injuries, improve quality of life, and create better working conditions for our employees,” Muñoz said on his LinkedIn page. At the same time, we are creating entirely new categories of highly skilled jobs. Our investments in talent development through partnerships with leading universities prepare our employees for roles as robotics technicians, process engineers and quality specialists. These are positions that come with high salaries, job security, and long-term career growth. ”
Muñoz went on to say that the company's commitment to job creation remains unchanged, pointing to the 8,500 direct jobs at HMGMA.
“The future of manufacturing is not about humans versus robots,” Muñoz says. “It's humans and robots, working side by side, each doing what they do best. As we shared at CES, Boston Dynamics makes robots move. Hyundai Motor Group makes them ready for work. Together with our partners at Boston Dynamics, Google DeepMind and NVIDIA, we are building the future of mobility. Technology serves humanity, not the other way around. It's a great time to be with Hyundai.”
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham counties. You can contact her at: lwilliams6@gannett.com.
