[CES 2026] Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Complete Development of Robot AI Chip... Physical AI "Ignition"

Unveiled at CES Foundry 2026
Ultra-Low Power, Efficient, and Smart Robots

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia unveiled their plans to realize "Physical AI" utilizing the development of AI chips for robots at "CES 2026," the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition. These chips operate with ultra-low power consumption for efficiency and, because they do not rely on network connections, are also specialized for security.

On January 8 (local time), at "CES Foundry 2026" in Las Vegas, USA, the Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Robotics Lab announced that, in collaboration with AI semiconductor specialist DEEPX, they have completed the development of a chip for "On-Device AI" and are ready for mass production.

CES Foundry is a new exhibition and presentation program introduced this year at CES, aiming to foster integrated discussions on three major innovative technologies: AI, blockchain, and quantum technology.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Robotics Lab's 'Facey' Facial Recognition

The AI chip jointly developed by Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, and DEEPX operates with ultra-low power consumption under 5W, detecting data in real time and performing recognition and decision-making tasks. Its high stability is particularly notable as it can function reliably in locations where network connections are difficult, such as underground parking lots or logistics centers.

Additionally, robots can be developed in forms optimized for specific service sectors, and unlike cloud-based AI, the lack of reliance on network connections enables relatively faster response times and provides a strong advantage in security.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Robotics Lab's 'DAL-e Delivery'

Through this collaboration, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia have secured an optimized solution early on for robots to be mass-produced in the future. At the same time, they have strengthened flexibility and stability in terms of their supply chain. In particular, they explained that a stable Physical AI infrastructure built with AI chips can be effective in addressing social challenges such as an aging population, industrial safety, and labor shortages.

Appearing as a joint speaker at the event, Hyun Dongjin, Head of the Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Robotics Lab (Executive Director), stated, "Since June 2024, the AI controller developed in-house by the Robotics Lab has been applied to facial recognition (Facey) and delivery robots (DAL-e Delivery) at 'Factorial Seongsu' to verify performance and quality," adding, "Our goal is to provide efficient and smart robots that operate with low power consumption to more people."