Hyundai Factory Strike Sparked by Humanoid Robots
Ars Technica AI · rss · 2026-07-17
Workers at Hyundai's Ulsan car plant in South Korea have gone on strike over the company's plans to deploy humanoid robots, marking the most significant organized labor backlash to date.
Key details from the report:
- This is the auto industry's "first plant strike over humanoid robots."
- Workers ended morning and evening shifts two hours early between July 13 and 15, with plans to strike for 4 hours daily from July 20 to 22.
- 15 rounds of negotiations have failed to reach an agreement.
A major catalyst for the dispute is the new version of the Atlas humanoid robot unveiled by Hyundai earlier this year. Built by Boston Dynamics, the bipedal robot stands over 6 feet tall and can lift more than 100 pounds. Boston Dynamics is also set to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hyundai.
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