Hyundai's Boston Dynamics unveils AI-powered humanoid robot at CES 2026 in Las Vegas

Hyundai Motor Group debuted its next-generation Atlas humanoid robot at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Monday (January 5).

At the CES 2026 presentation, a prototype Atlas humanoid robot introduced a new and improved iteration of the design.

Atlas features human-scale hands with tactile sensing and has the ability to lift up to 50 kg (110 pounds), according to Hyundai.

The robot can also operate autonomously and is designed to function in industrial environments ranging from minus 20 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius.

Hyundai Motor Group plans to deploy humanoid robots at its U.S. manufacturing plant in Georgia starting in 2028, marking a step toward automating higher-risk and repetitive manufacturing tasks, the South Korean company said.

“The rapid advancements in AI over the past few years are the piece that we needed — and that moment is finally here,” said Zachary Jackowski, vice president and general manager of Atlas at Boston Dynamics, which is majority owned by Hyundai. “Now it’s time to officially take Atlas out of the lab.”

Boston Dynamics also announced a strategic partnership with Google Deepmind's robotics team to utilize their AI foundation models.

“Recent advancements in AI have created a clear path to get to those capabilities, which has spurred our commercialization journey for Atlas,” said Alberto Rodriguez, director of Atlas behavior at Boston Dynamics.

By 2030, Hyundai said Atlas robots were expected to move into component assembly with a longer-term plan to take on tasks involving heavy loads, repetitive motions and complex operations across production sites.

The robots are designed to reduce physical strain on workers by taking on higher-risk and repetitive tasks, laying the groundwork for broader commercial use in industrial settings, it said.

At Hyundai Motor's affiliate Kia Corp, the labor union last year called to establish a body to address potential labor rights issues in preparation for the AI era, as workers raised concerns about expanding automation.

The company expects humanoid robots to become the largest segment of the physical artificial intelligence market, which refers to AI systems embedded in hardware that collect real-world data and make autonomous decisions, spanning areas such as robotics, smart factories and autonomous driving.

Production: Sandra Stojanovic, Jane Ross, Alexandra Sarabia/Reuters