A Facebook post by a Hungarian economist has rekindled a domestic debate about humanoid robots: how soon they could replace factory workers, what they would cost, and what happens to the people whose jobs they take.
György László — an economist, founder of the Harmonikus Növekedésért Alapítvány (Foundation for Harmonious Growth) and a former government commissioner for economic strategy — argued in the post that the current technological shift may have a larger effect on everyday life than earlier industrial revolutions. Economx reported his remarks on 12 November, citing a summary by Index.
The argument
György László’s central claim is that humanoid robots — two-legged machines modelled on the human body — no longer necessarily require a special work environment. They can perform tasks at workstations built for people inside existing factories, which he says could fundamentally reshape the labour market. Because the machines can work three shifts, he estimates that putting one into service could pay for itself in as little as six to nine months.
His arithmetic rests on two figures: international forecasts cited in the post put the price of humanoid and learning robots at HUF 5.5–11 million within two to four years, while an experienced, skilled factory worker’s annual wage cost may be HUF 6–7 million. These are forecasts and one economist’s argument, not established fact.
The counterweight
Economx notes that the Chinese manufacturer Unitree Robotics already lists its G1 humanoid from USD 13,500 — roughly HUF 4.5 million — in its official web store. A lower sticker price does not mean a machine can independently and reliably replace a factory employee: the outlet points out that payback depends not only on the purchase price but on operation, maintenance, programming and actual performance.
A McKinsey analysis cited by both outlets adds a practical limit: most humanoid robots can currently operate for only two to four hours on a single charge, so batteries, safety systems and motion precision need further development.
The social question
György László drew a historical parallel with the industrial revolution, recalling that hand-weavers’ incomes fell sharply as mechanisation spread, while the new factories did not necessarily employ the workers who had lost their work. Many people tried to emigrate to find a living; he argues that this time, in a phrase that reads as a warning, even a ticket to America is not necessarily an escape route. He closed by asking what people will live on after 2030, and how they will spend their everyday lives.
Index, which summarised the post, recalled his earlier warning that robotisation could touch human dignity if it destroys jobs on a mass scale. Economx’s own reporting on Hungarian manufacturing has struck a different note: at a Business Fest roundtable in June 2026, executives from Schaeffler, Richter, MOL and WHC argued that robots will not remove the need for human labour but will demand different knowledge — fewer low-value-added jobs, and far more specialists able to run automated systems.
There is also an industrial-policy angle. Hungary’s minister of science and technology, Tanács Zoltán, told Index in an interview published in October that robotics could be an economic breakout point for the country, and that humanoid robot or component manufacturing could create more domestic value added than battery production. His ministry’s position is that Hungary should try to attract a humanoid robot plant or a parts supplier.
What to watch
Three things will determine how quickly this reaches Hungarian factory floors: whether robot prices really fall into the HUF 5–11 million band, whether batteries and safety systems improve enough for three-shift operation, and whether Hungarian employers — facing an ageing skilled workforce and persistent labour shortages — actually invest. Wage growth, training policy and any government response on social protection are the indicators to follow.
Sources: Economx (https://www.economx.hu/gazdasag/ipari-robotok-munkaero-megelhetes-gyorgy-laszlo/); Index (https://index.hu/gazdasag/2026/11/12/robot-munka-veszely-fizetes/); Index interview with Tanács Zoltán (https://index.hu/gazdasag/2026/10/27/sanghaj-kina-robot-chery-beszamolo/); McKinsey and Unitree Robotics G1 pricing as cited by Economx. Figures are the sources’ own forecasts and estimates.
Image: Sayanesy, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustration — a Unitree G1 humanoid robot on display, the model cited in the article, not a Hungarian factory.
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