"The Most Advanced Robot"... Hyundai Motor Group's Atlas Draws Global Media Attention and Praise

[The Financial News] Since Hyundai Motor Group unveiled Atlas, the humanoid robot developed by its robotics affiliate Boston Dynamics, at the world’s largest consumer electronics and information technology exhibition, Consumer Electronics Show 2026 (CES 2026), it has been receiving a wave of positive reviews from foreign media.
With robots emerging as the main field of embodied or "physical AI," one of the key themes at this year’s CES, foreign media outlets showed particularly strong interest in Atlas among the many robots on display and offered favorable assessments of Hyundai Motor Group’s physical AI vision and Boston Dynamics’ competitive edge in robotics technology.
In particular, overseas media highlighted Atlas’s key features and potential applications in detail, noting that Hyundai Motor Group is positioning itself not merely as a mobility company but as a robotics company built on physical AI.

According to industry sources on the 18th, The Associated Press (AP), one of the world’s largest news agencies, reported on the 6th (local time) that "Hyundai Motor Group has stepped up the race to build robots that look like humans and work in their place," vividly describing the movements of Atlas, which was unveiled the previous day.
AP noted that "even leading robot manufacturers rarely demonstrate humanoid robots in public for fear of mistakes," adding that Atlas’s demonstration was "remarkable, with no errors or shortcomings."
The Guardian, a daily newspaper based in London, devoted significant space to Atlas in a feature published on the 9th that introduced the key robots showcased at CES 2026.
The Guardian highlighted Atlas’s waterproofing and automatic battery-swapping capabilities, stressing that "this will be the year when Atlas, which Boston Dynamics has tested over many years, is reborn as a polished product."
Euronews also reported on the 6th that "Boston Dynamics has proven that Atlas is no longer just a prototype by demonstrating it publicly for the first time," adding that "through Atlas, Hyundai Motor Group will reduce the amount of physical labor required of humans, ease physical strain, and lay the foundation for an environment of human-robot collaboration."


Automotive and technology trade publications overseas have likewise published articles expressing high expectations for Hyundai Motor Group’s Atlas.
Autoweek, a U.S. automotive magazine, ran a story titled "Hyundai’s Next Mobility Revolution Isn’t a Car," focusing on Hyundai Motor Group’s long-term strategic message.
Explaining Hyundai Motor Group’s strategy for executing its robotics vision—such as promoting collaboration between robots and humans, integrating Boston Dynamics into Hyundai’s global manufacturing ecosystem, and forming partnerships with leading AI companies—Autoweek reported that "Hyundai Motor Group believes that the core of next-generation technology lies in robots, not in electric vehicles or autonomous driving."
TechRadar, a UK-based technology media outlet, described Atlas as "one of the most advanced humanoid robots in the world," adding that "once Atlas is deployed on manufacturing lines, it will work alongside humans as a colleague."
The Verge, a U.S. IT-focused media outlet, pointed out that Atlas is positioned as a competitor to Tesla, Inc.’s Optimus humanoid robot, while Mashable, a U.S. digital media company, drew attention to the fact that Hyundai Motor Group chose to showcase robots rather than cars at CES.
Interesting Engineering, a technology magazine in Turkey, and Robot Start, a robotics trade publication in Japan, also continued their coverage of Atlas, placing Hyundai Motor Group squarely in the spotlight at the center of the robotics conversation following the robot’s unveiling.
Meanwhile, on the 8th, Atlas won the Best Robot Award in the Best of CES 2026 Awards selected by global IT media outlet CNET.
CNET highly praised Atlas’s natural, humanlike walking ability and refined design as core strengths, emphasizing that Hyundai Motor Group has validated its human-centered AI robotics vision through next-generation robots that work alongside humans.
hjkim01@fnnews.com Kim Hak-jae Reporter