From the factories of Detroit to the postal warehouses in Shenzhen, a new kind of worker is clocking in — and the humans it’s replacing aren’t going down without a fight.

In late June, thousands of rank-and-file workers in the Korean Metal Workers’ Union voted to authorize a strike in response to Hyundai’s announcement it would deploy over 25,000 humanoid robots across its factories.

Weeks later, that strike is slowing production at a Hyundai factory down to a trickle. According to the Wall Street Journal, the workers began a partial strike after negotiations broke down last week. Starting on Monday, workers refused to work for four hours of each shift, leaving production lines stalled for half the work day.

Per the WSJ, the economic impacts of the strike are stark: the pullback could disrupt production of about 5,000 cars, and cut into Hyundai’s sales revenue by around $135 million. Should Hyundai choose to dig in their heels after the labor action, the union said it could escalate the strike, either by prolonging the length of the strike, upgrading it to a full strike, or both.

The mobilization appears to be the first of its kind over humanoid robotics, specifically, marking a pivotal moment in labor history. At issue is Hyundai’s threat to deploy thousands of “Atlas” model robots built by Boston Dynamics, bipedal humanoids that measure about 6’2″ in height and can lift a maximum of 110 pounds.

While the robots have yet to be deployed, union organizers explained that the strike is meant to give workers the power to renegotiate their contracts on their own terms, before the automation drive begins in earnest.

“We have to prepare to ensure there are safeguards in place,” secretary general of the KMWU and lead negotiator Byun Jun-hwan told the WSJ.

Specifically, the union’s demands include job security guarantees designed around AI and automation, larger bonuses that reflect Hyundai’s profit margin, a transition away from hourly wages to a fixed salary agreement, and a formal agreement allowing workers final say on any humanoid robotics deployment.

More on automation: AI Is Pushing Older Employees Straight Out of the Workforce, New Report Finds

The post Striking Workers Bring Car Factory to a Screeching Halt Over Humanoid Robots appeared first on Futurism.

You might wince at the professional spectacle of two humans beating each other to a pulp. But when it’s two robots? We want maximum carnage.

Thankfully, the inaugural Ultimate Robot Knock-out Legend (URKL) competition in Shenzhen, China, has delivered on providing the most brutal-but-bloodless spectacle you can lay eyes on.

In a video of a cage match between two mechanical humanoids, one of the clanker combatants literally knocks its opponent’s block off by delivering a flying kick to the face.

The robot continues to fight with its head dangling from between its shoulders and throws a few punches, but not for long.

After being knocked to the ground again, it flails uncontrollably while trying to get to its feet. The violent jerking severs the cable connecting the hanging head, and the robot collapses onto the ground. The other robot, victorious, dances over its unmoving body.

Insane new humanoid battle tournament in Shenzhen
byu/Fit-Case1093 insingularity

According to the state-run tabloid Global Times, the URKL competition featured 32 teams from around the world who all used the T800 humanoid robot from EngineAI, a Chinese robotics company.

The point of the competition, according to EngineAI CEO Zhao Tongyang, was twofold: create a global commercial robot fighting brand and promote research and industrialization.

“Let the event feed back into technology, and let technology drive the industry,” Tongyang told Global Times.

You can’t accuse Tongyang of not putting his money where his mouth is. In a video that went viral last December, he donned a suit of armor and let himself take blows from one of his T800 robots. One kick was so powerful that it slammed him to the ground.

It’s hard to tell how much of a splash the event made in the country, but it must’ve been a wild spectacle to witness in person. Legendary martial arts movie star and filmmaker Donnie Yen was in attendance and sounded blown away by what he saw.

“Honestly, I used to see robot fighting only in science fiction movies,” Yen said at the event’s opening, per Global Times. “But today, for the first time, I got to watch real robots fighting up close.”

“The weight of the machines, the precision of their movements — it was incredible,” he added.

Martial arts is one of Chinese robot companies’ favorite ways to show off their capabilities. China stunned the world earlier this year with a televised martial arts display performed by a group of Unitree G1 robots that shared the stage with human actors.

More on robots: Startup Upset After Journalist Points Out How Creepy Its Humanoid Robots’ Hands Are

The post Brutal Humanoid Robot Cage Match Stops Abruptly When One of the Robot’s Heads Pops Off appeared first on Futurism.