When you put a giant legion of humanoid robots on the floor of an auto factory, do they actually increase efficiency and replace labor, or is that just a corporate fantasy? An auto workers union in South Korea, where Hyundai may one day deploy one such legion of robots, doesn’t seem to be asking that question. Instead, it’s essentially asking for reassurance that when—not if—the robots come to take people’s jobs, there will be a deal in place that cushions the blow. Hyundai, in case you haven’t been following this saga, has developed robot fever over the past couple years as its deepened its involvement with Boston Dynamics—buying most of the company in 2021, and initiated a deal to take over pretty much the rest of it earlier this year. During this transition, we’ve seen a lot of videos of the sleeker, new-ish Atlas prototype with its now famous uncanny double-jointedness and its ring light-shaped face. But this year, Hyundai and Boston Dynamics have been signaling to investors that the Atlas robot is no longer a prototype with jutting hardware and exposed joints. It should now be thought of as a finished piece of hardware with real world applications that can be operated in the same room as workers and equipment. What’s more, Hyundai claims to be manufacturing tens of thousands of them, and rolling them out soon.