The Korea Times
Union leaders at Korea’s carmakers are raising concerns about what companies and the government hail as a next-generation technology push, saying the artificial intelligence (AI) transition is racing ahead without a plan to protect workers' jobs. Speaking at a press conference near Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul Thursday, the Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) and leaders of the unions of Hyundai, Kia and GM Korea demanded the creation of a government-industry consultative body on “supply chain and job protection,” warning that the rapid push for humanoid robots and unmanned factories risks turning the AI transition into a sweeping restructuring program rather than a shared productivity gain. “Earlier this year, Hyundai Motor announced that it would deploy a physical AI robot called Atlas for parts sequencing work starting in 2028 and for vehicle assembly work in 2030, replacing human labor and operating an unmanned factory that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even with the lights off,” said Lee Jong-cheol, head of the KMWU’s Hyundai Motor branch. “In Hyundai’s vision
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