Toyota workers are currently assisting in the training of humanoid robots as part of the automaker’s strategic initiative to eventually deploy 400,000 factory robots. Despite this significant automation push, a Toyota executive stated that the robotic workforce is not intended to directly replace human employees.
What Happened
According to Nikkei Asia, the Toyota Motor group aims to begin investing $6.42 billion every year in upgrading factories with new robotic systems starting in 2028. The company’s target is to place 150,000 robots within its own automotive plants and deploy an additional 250,000 units at facilities belonging to group companies that produce various components and materials.
Toyota has already commenced the deployment of its ELEY humanoid robots on assembly lines to facilitate learning from human workers. Reports indicate that employees are teaching these wheeled robots to execute tasks requiring precise hand movements by wearing "jigs" modeled after the humanoids’ fingers.
Why It Matters
This initiative highlights a major shift in industrial manufacturing where human expertise is leveraged to refine robotic capabilities rather than simply being displaced by them. The scale of the investment, totaling billions annually, signals a long-term commitment to integrating advanced automation into the supply chain, potentially setting a precedent for how legacy automakers balance efficiency gains with workforce retention.
The Bottom Line
Toyota is actively training humanoid robots for large-scale factory deployment, backed by a planned $6.42 billion annual investment starting in 2028, while maintaining that human workers will not be directly replaced by the new robotic workforce.