"Hyundai Motor union: 'AI must not become a means of replacing workers'", 4 June 2026

As Hyundai Motor pursues smart factory and AI-driven manufacturing innovation, its union has argued that AI must not be used as a means of replacing workers, and has called for employment security measures to be put in place.

According to industry sources on 4 June, labour and management discussed AI-related issues as a key agenda item at their eighth round of negotiations held that day. The union stated: "Joint labour-management discussion is needed to prepare for employment insecurity caused by AI," adding that "AI adoption must not be used as a means of replacing workers."

The company, for its part, took the position that "existing legal frameworks, including the Personal Information Protection Act and the AI Basic Act, provide sufficient protection, and the impact of AI adoption and employment-related issues are still difficult to predict."