Lee Min-hyung joined The Korea Times in 2014 and has worked as a journalist mainly in Korea’s finance, tech and automotive industry. He specializes in content creation, breaking news and in-depth analysis currently on transportation and mobility. You can reach him via mhlee@koreatimes.co.kr.
CES 2026 Hyundai Motor Group says ‘never too late’ in self-driving
Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chair Chang Jae-hoon speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Monday. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group
By Lee Min-hyung
Technological verification stands as higher priority for carmaker
LAS VEGAS — Hyundai Motor Group said it is “never too late” to catch up in the rapidly evolving self-driving industry, as the carmaker continues to place technological validation ahead of a quick response to the market, Vice Chair Chang Jae-hoon told reporters during a press conference on the sidelines of CES 2026 Monday (local time).
The remark came amid the monthlong leadership vacuum for the carmaker’s autonomous driving business, after Song Chang-hyun, former president and head of the group’s advanced vehicle platform division, resigned from the post last month, apparently due to delayed progress compared with market leaders such as Tesla and Waymo.
“Hyundai Motor Group is now in the process of technological verification, and I believe we are never too late in the industry,” Chang said.
He also stressed that it does not matter whether the carmaker remains highly responsive to the market.
“Of greater significance is confidence in the market and technological verification,” he said. “We have so many new solutions and are now engaging in multiple projects to verify our self-driving technologies.”
At CES 2026, Hyundai Motor Group unveiled its renewed artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, which focuses on physical AI by utilizing its manufacturing expertise. Physical AI refers to intelligence directly embedded into machines and production systems.
Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chair Chang Jae-hoon, center, answers questions from reporters during a press conference during CES 2026 in Las Vegas, Monday. Other key executives include Hyundai Motor CEO Jose Munoz, third from left, and Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter, fifth from left. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group
The carmaker’s robotics arm, Boston Dynamics, took center stage to power the group’s physical AI strategy at this year’s tech exhibition.
Hyundai Motor Group promoted its long-term vision of driving manufacturing innovation with AI robots by showcasing Boston Dynamics’ advanced humanoid robot, Atlas, during its media event.
After the group acquired Boston Dynamics in 2021, the carmaker has conducted internal discussions on how to sync the robot firm’s growth with the carmaker’s diverse portfolio, which ranges from self-driving to air mobility, according to Chang.
“The group decided to bring up the vision at CES 2026 to define the specific road map for the convergence of robotics, mobility and AI,” he said.
Chang said the focus is now being shifted to the actual implementation of robots to industrial sites, rather than mere technological advancement.
“It is much more important to apply robots to proper work sites rather than robot technologies itself,” he said. “Our robotics strategy starts from verifying robots at our production lines and logistics processes and generating synergies across the group’s value chain.”
Chang dispelled concerns that humanoid robots may end up stealing jobs from human workers.
“Robots will take on repetitive and dangerous tasks shunned by most people,” he said. “Therefore, of bigger importance is how to build a robot ecosystem, and depending on that, more jobs can be created.”