Persona AI, a U.S. startup developing humanoid robots for heavy industry, plans to expand its partnerships in South Korea beyond shipbuilding and steelmaking into energy and construction. The company sees rising demand for humanoid robots at worksites facing shrinking labor pools. Persona AI is concentrating on technology development on the view that humanoid robots will handle complex and varied tasks on manufacturing floors within two years.
Michael Perry, chief of business strategy at Persona AI, told The Seoul Economic Daily at COEX in Seoul on the 22nd that "Korea is a country with many opportunities when it comes to humanoid robots." He added, "We are currently working with partners in shipbuilding and steelmaking, and we also see energy and construction as areas for collaboration."
Founded in Houston in 2024, Persona AI develops humanoid robots tailored to heavy-industry sites such as shipyards and steel mills. In Korea, it is running proof-of-concept projects with HD Hyundai and POSCO DX on a welding robot designed for shipyards and a robot built for steel logistics work. POSCO DX also invested $2 million in Persona AI to support the effort.
Persona AI focused on heavy industry because such sites carry a heavier load of difficult, dirty and dangerous work, leaving them with severe labor shortages. According to Perry, the United States is projected to face a shortfall of more than 330,000 welders alone by 2028. By 2030, unfilled jobs in U.S. manufacturing are estimated at 2.1 million. One forecast holds that about 20% of U.S. factories will experience labor shortages.
The situation is no different in Korea, which has a large manufacturing base but is also aging rapidly. "In Korea, too, there are not enough workers to replace aging welders, but welding is a field where automation know-how and data have accumulated," Perry said. "That makes it well suited for deploying humanoid robots to solve existing problems and move to the next stage."
He argued that a human form is the right design for robots given cramped work areas and complex tasks. "Even if a robot works the same eight hours, the range of work in heavy industry is far more varied and complex than in automotive or logistics," Perry said. "A humanoid robot also has to be able to perform several tasks in sequence." In practice, welders at shipyards do not simply hold a torch and weld. Before welding, they align steel plates and manage cables. Once the weld is done, they must also inspect it. Persona AI's development goal is for humanoid robots to handle those tasks as well.
The robots the company is building aim to work in spaces existing robots struggle to reach, such as shipyard ladders, moving much as a person would. "Unlike robots used in homes, these have to work in harsh environments, so they must withstand water and dust," Perry said. "They are specified to work in temperatures from minus 20 to minus 60 degrees Celsius."
The market for industrial humanoid robots is still in its early stages. According to the International Federation of Robotics, about 7,000 humanoid robots for industrial and professional service use were sold worldwide in 2025, deployed mainly in manufacturing pilots. Growth, however, is clear. PW Consulting projects the global industrial humanoid robot market will expand roughly sixfold, from $900 million last year to $5.5 billion in 2030. Persona AI's strategy is to capture that growth.
Perry stressed that Persona AI's robots differ from Chinese humanoid robots that dance and tumble. "Chinese humanoid robots are often bought by consumers for fun, one or two at a time," he said. "That is different from Persona AI robots, which are meant to be used where there is real work to be done." He also pointed to significant security concerns surrounding Chinese-made robots. "Companies are reluctant to use Chinese robots when they do not know where their data is going," he said. "When something goes wrong with a robot, Chinese robot makers push customers to buy replacements rather than offering solutions, and they do not analyze what the problem is." That, he said, is why Persona AI is developing humanoid robots for industrial sites with safety management, security and training all taken into account.
The company plans to bring a third-generation robot to market this fall, following its first- and second-generation models. It is also preparing plans for mass production and maintenance services. "I think robots will be commercialized on manufacturing floors two years from now," Perry said. "We intend to focus on building solutions that match what Korean companies want and on solving problems together so robots can be operated sustainably."
