Humanoid Robot Concerns Spark Strike by Hyundai Auto Workers

Thousands of unionized Hyundai workers began striking after negotiations over the deployment of humanoid robots broke down, marking the first factory stoppage in the automotive industry directly linked to such automation. The partial strike at Hyundai's Ulsan plant involved ending day and night shifts two hours early from July 13 to 15, with plans for four-hour strikes from July 20 to 22 following 15 failed negotiation rounds. Union opposition intensified after Hyundai unveiled the Atlas humanoid robot, a six-foot-tall, 100-pound-lifting machine made by Boston Dynamics, which Hyundai is set to fully acquire.