Louisiana welders team up with robots to handle dangerous work — and train data for a top humanoid startup

Humanoid welding robots are heading to a Louisiana steel shop to tackle labor shortages and train the next generation of manufacturing workers.

It started when Justin P. Airhart saw welding robots on TV and recognized an opportunity to embrace the future. Airhart, the chief operating officer of SSE Steel Fabrication, submitted an inquiry to advanced robotics firm Persona AI, hoping to find a way to work together. 

It was a shot in the dark, but Airhart received an opportunity to let two welding robots learn the trade by working in his factory. 

Through a partnership with Louisiana Innovation, a division of Louisiana Economic Development, Houston-based Persona AI is bringing humanoid robots to SSE Steel Fabrication in St. Bernard Parish. The anthropomorphic bots will perform tasks like recognizing factory floor plans, welding sheets of metal and collecting data through motion capture. 

However, the intent is not to replace people with robots.

“I don’t think you’re ever going to replace the person in the shop,” Airhart said. “The people are just going to learn different jobs, and it’s going to be a balance of what the human does versus what the robot does.”

Airhart’s initial idea for AI and robots only focused on surveillance and quality control, he said. However, he figured if robots could learn to weld, move around in a factory like a person and work with accuracy, then why not push the limits of what technology is capable of.

Persona AI works on humanoid robots for different industrial purposes like welding and mining. The partnership with SSE Steel Fabrication would allow the robots to learn and collect data, further advancing Persona’s programs, Airhart said.

The 18-month partnership will consist of two of Persona AI’s welding robots working at the factory alongside people. However, specific costs to run and maintain the humanoid robots are still undisclosed.

“Persona offers robotics as a service model, which is intended to cover training, installation, service and maintenance,” a statement provided by Persona AI said. “This cost model varies depending on use cases, market and task requirements. Persona is not ready to publish a firm figure.”

A more inclusive workforce for older welders 

A little more than 12,000 welders are employed in the state of Louisiana, according to 2023 data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Welding jobs in the US are set to grow 2% over the next ten years, with nearly 46,000 job openings projected each year. 

Currently, SSE Steel Fabrication has about 70 employees, but could use about 100 total, Airhart said. His hope is for the humanoid welding robots to offset the labor shortage in the future. 

So far, Airhart’s employees reacted positively to the pilot, he said. They’re excited to wear the motion capture suits that train the robots and see new technology in action, Airhart said. 

Working robots could also reduce serious health risks for people on the job.

A 2025 study by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization looked at data from over 17 countries and found that welding fumes could leave people at higher risk for respiratory disease and cancer. 

For long-time workers in the trade, like Airhart’s father-in-law, welding can also be a physically demanding job. The implementation of humanoid robots over the next three to five years can allow older adults to still do what they love, further away from hazards, Airhart said.

“This is teaching the next wave of what is going to be a job,” Airhart said. “It’s going to be working in tandem, and the humans can basically sit there and man the towers.”

BLS did not provide 2023 data on the number of electromechanical and mechatronics workers in Louisiana, a field that fuels robotics development. Nationally, however, the industry is expected to grow 1% by 2034. 

Access to tech keeps small businesses competitive

Data collected over the course of the partnership could provide the building blocks for more advanced robotics technology.

“It’s about time Louisiana gets to do something on the front-end of innovation,” Airhart said.

Moving forward, the hope is for small businesses, like SSE Steel Fabrication, to have access to technology that can help them stay competitive in the market, said Josh Fleig, chief innovation officer of Louisiana Economic Development.

Currently, there aren’t specific programs from Louisiana Economic Development to assist small businesses with covering the costs of autonomous robots like welding models, Fleig said. 

Specialty robotics presents a specific cost challenge, but general-purpose robotics can be easier to implement into existing businesses. The plan for 2026 is to take steps that help small businesses adjust to more automation, Fleig said.

“There [are] new solutions for old problems now,” Fleig said. “Running pilots like this helps raise awareness.”