US humanoid robot welders to enter live industry tests at Louisiana steel plant

Persona AI, a robotics company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the State of Louisiana to launch a pilot program deploying humanoid robots in a live industrial setting at SSE Steel Fabrication’s facility in St. Bernard Parish. Supported by Louisiana Innovation and Greater New Orleans Inc., the initiative aims to establish Louisiana as a leader in embodied AI within advanced manufacturing and next-generation workforce technologies. The program will collect data on how humanoid robots perceive, move, and collaborate with human workers in heavy-duty steel manufacturing environments, addressing labor shortages and complex working conditions. Unlike traditional fixed-position factory robots, Persona AI’s humanoid robots are designed to operate in human-centric workspaces, using regular tools and navigating uneven terrain. The company focuses on “4D jobs” — work that is dull, dangerous, declining, and dirty — with the goal of having robots handle manual tasks while humans transition to supervisory and quality assurance roles. The pilot will specifically train humanoid welders for fabrication and shipbuilding jobs. State