Seoul: Song Ho-sung, chief executive officer (CEO) of Kia Corp., has announced the automaker's plan to deploy the humanoid robot Atlas, developed by Boston Dynamics, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, at U.S. factories in 2029.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Song disclosed during recent overseas roadshows cited by Korea Investment and Securities that the rollout of the humanoid robot will commence at Kia's Georgia plant in 2029. This follows its initial introduction at Hyundai Motor Group's U.S. manufacturing facility, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, in 2028.

Song explained that the company intends to gradually expand deployment at U.S. factories over the first one to two years. This phase aims to accumulate operational data and enhance safety, with the robots initially assigned to physically demanding processes. After verifying the robots' capabilities in specific processes, deployment may be extended to overseas factories with similar production layouts.

The CEO noted that the four-legged robot Spot is already in use for product scanning, security, and patrol operations. Additionally, the logistics robot Stretch is set to be integrated into purpose-built vehicles. This rollout is part of a phased deployment strategy led by Hyundai Motor Group to integrate autonomous humanoids into core manufacturing processes.