Hyundai Motor Group Appoints Former Tesla Optimus Lead as Boston Dynamics Advisor

On January 16, Hyundai Motor Group announced the appointment of Milan Kovac, former Vice President of Tesla’s Optimus project, as a corporate advisor and external board member of its U.S.-based robotics subsidiary, Boston Dynamics. Kovac brings nearly two decades of experience in artificial intelligence and robotics, having led the development of Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus and its vision-based autonomous driving system. This appointment aims to accelerate AI technology advancement and commercialization for Boston Dynamics’ core robotic products, including Spot, Stretch, and Atlas. Hyundai plans to begin mass production of the Atlas humanoid robot by 2028, with an annual capacity of up to 30,000 units, initially deploying manufacturing at its Georgia facility in the United States. Additionally, the group has partnered with Google DeepMind and NVIDIA to enhance its “physical AI” capabilities and drive robotic applications in manufacturing, logistics, and other sectors.