Milan Kovac, adviser to Hyundai Motor Group and outside director at Boston Dynamics (Hyundai Motor Group)
Hyundai Motor Group said Friday it has appointed Milan Kovac, former vice president in charge of Tesla’s Optimus, as a group adviser and outside director at its US-based robotics subsidiary Boston Dynamics, stepping up its push into humanoid robotics.
With nearly two decades of experience across software, hardware and AI-driven robotics, Kovac has built high-performance engineering organizations that enable rapid development cycles while delivering breakthrough results.
Most recently, Kovac worked at Tesla for roughly nine years before leaving the company in June. He led several major projects, including the humanoid robot Optimus, and contributed to the development of camera-based, vision-centric autonomous driving systems.
Through the appointment, Hyundai Motor aims to ramp up AI-driven robotics at Boston Dynamics and advance the mid- to long-term strategy and commercialization of its core robot portfolio, including the four-legged Spot, the logistics robot Stretch and the humanoid Atlas.
In his role as group adviser, Kovac will provide strategic advice on AI and engineering initiatives across Hyundai Motor Company and Kia, focusing on the application of advanced AI and robotics technologies in manufacturing, logistics and service operations, leveraging the group’s extensive industrial base.
Industry insiders say Kovac’s hire aligns with Hyundai’s efforts to transition from research-focused development to scalable, commercially viable humanoid robots.
At CES 2026 in Las Vegas earlier in January, Hyundai outlined its humanoid robotics strategy, unveiling the next-generation electric Atlas for the first time. The company plans to mass-produce Atlas with an annual capacity of up to 30,000 units by 2028, with the first deployment scheduled for Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Georgia during the same period.
To enhance physical AI — which acts as a humanoid robot’s brain — the automaker has partnered with Google DeepMind, following last year’s collaboration with Nvidia on AI-powered factories. Under the deal, Google DeepMind will use fleets of Atlas robots to collect real-world manufacturing data, teleoperate assembly tasks and train general-purpose humanoids capable of working beyond automotive manufacturing.
A Hyundai Motor Group official stated, “Kovac is widely recognized as a leader in AI and robotics. His appointment is expected to accelerate innovation at Hyundai and Boston Dynamics and strengthen their global competitiveness.”
In a separate leadership appointment, Hyundai named Park Min-woo as the new head of its autonomous driving subsidiary, 42dot, following the resignation of former CEO Song Chang-hyun. A former vice president at Nvidia, Park will also serve as head of the group’s Advanced Vehicle Platform division.
hyejin2@heraldcorp.com
