Hyundai Motor Company and Kia have completed the development of a robotic AI chip and unveiled a plan to realize “physical AI” through it.

Hyundai Motor and Kia Robotics Lab announced on the 8th (local time) that it had participated in “CES Foundry 2026” held in Las Vegas, United States, and, through cooperation with AI semiconductor company DeepX, had completed development of an AI chip for “on-device AI.”

CES Foundry is an exhibition and presentation program introduced for the first time this year at CES. It aims to facilitate integrated discussions on three major innovative technologies: AI, blockchain, and quantum technology.

Appearing as a co-speaker at the event, Hyun Dong-jin, head of Hyundai Motor and Kia Robotics Lab, said, “To realize physical AI, the Robotics Lab is developing AI and software for robots under the vision of ‘robotization of space,’” adding, “The AI controller independently developed by the Robotics Lab has already been applied since June 2024 to facial recognition (Payci) and delivery robot (DAL-e Delivery) at ‘Factorial Seongsu’ to verify performance and quality.”

The on-device AI chip jointly developed by Hyundai Motor, Kia, and DeepX operates at ultra-low power of under 5W, detects data in real time, and performs perception and decision-making. In particular, it can operate normally in locations where network connectivity is difficult, such as underground parking lots or logistics centers, offering high stability.

In addition, robots can be developed in forms optimized for specific service fields, and unlike cloud-based AI, it does not rely on a network, resulting in relatively faster response speeds and advantages in security.

This collaboration is significant in that it combines Hyundai Motor and Kia Robotics Lab’s AI and software development capabilities with DeepX’s semiconductor technology, achieving an optimal balance among cost efficiency, performance, and supply stability.

Through this partnership, Hyundai Motor and Kia have secured, at an early stage, optimized solutions to be installed in robots that will be mass-produced in the future. The companies have also strengthened flexibility and stability in terms of the supply chain.

In particular, for addressing social challenges such as aging populations, industrial safety, and labor shortages, it is essential that robots operate in real-world environments. Hyundai Motor and Kia expect that the newly developed on-device AI chip will enable them to build a stable physical AI infrastructure.

Hyun Dong-jin, head of Hyundai Motor and Kia Robotics Lab, said, “Hyundai Motor and Kia Robotics Lab are building a sustainable robotics ecosystem,” adding, “The goal is to create value that users can actually experience at the final touchpoint of the physical AI pipeline and to provide more people with robots that are efficient and smart while operating on low power.”

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