General Motors has sparked outrage after sidelining more than 1,000 workers at its flagship Detroit assembly plant on Friday and announcing they’d be installing 50 new robots.
The so-called ‘cobots’ were installed on the assembly line at GM’s Factory Zero in Michigan as the automaker slashes costs amid weakening demand for its electric vehicles, according to reports.
The robots now work alongside the remaining employees, helping attach vehicle body panels as cars move down the production line, AutoBlog reported.
The number of labor hours required to build a car has fallen by 50 percent to 70 percent since the 1980s, Crain’s reported.
But that efficiency shift has not translated into lower wages for workers; UAW pay rose significantly in its 2023 contract win, with the union expected to push for stronger protections ahead of its 2028 negotiations.
Cotton also raised safety concerns about robots operating in close proximity to human workers, disputing GM’s claims that the technology improves conditions on the line.
He said the union has since filed grievances against the company over the deployment of cobots.
The cobots arrive as GM scales back its once-aggressive electric vehicle push, which has been pressured by slowing demand and high production costs.
The automaker has also paused production at its Factory ZERO plant multiple times over the past year amid the shifting EV landscape.
The latest developments are consistent with plans GM executives have discussed for several years.
During the company’s GM Forward event in late 2025, leadership emphasized the growing role of artificial intelligence, automation and advanced manufacturing technologies.