Robots Redesigning Factories and Cities: Inside Hyundai Motor's Physical AI Strategy

Physical AI is moving from demo to deployment, and few companies sit closer to that shift than Hyundai Motor. With Boston Dynamics' Atlas preparing for Hyundai's U.S. lines, the group is turning robotics research into industrial reality at scale.

The session

In “Robots Redesigning Factories and Cities: Hyundai Motor's Physical AI Strategy,” Sihyun Joo shows how embodied AI is being used not just to automate tasks, but to fundamentally rethink how factories — and eventually cities — are designed.

This is a rare, concrete look at physical AI operating inside one of the world's largest manufacturers, where robotics intelligence software meets the realities of production.

Why it matters now

As global manufacturers face labor shortages and rising costs, physical AI offers a path to flexible, adaptive production. Korea has just made physical AI one of the three pillars of a $576B national AI push — and Hyundai is at the center of that industrial strategy.

About the speaker

Sihyun Joo is VP and Head of Group at Hyundai Motor Company, leading work at the intersection of robotics intelligence and real-world operations. His perspective bridges advanced research and the hard constraints of manufacturing at industrial scale.

Key Takeaways

1. Beyond automation — how embodied AI reshapes the manufacturing floor rather than just speeding it up.
2. Pilot to production — what it takes to move physical AI from proof-of-concept to industrial scale.
3. Factories to cities — where mobility, robotics, and urban systems converge next.

Session at a Glance