General Motors installed approximately 50 robot arms at its Factory Zero electric vehicle plant in Detroit, Michigan, even as 1,300 workers remain out of work following temporary layoffs announced in March. The Japanese robotics company FANUC manufactured the robots, which are designed to attach components to vehicles during assembly. United Auto Workers union leaders reacted with anger to the automation expansion, pointing out that GM has not recalled any of the temporarily laid-off workers. The robot deployment highlights escalating tensions between automakers pursuing automation and unions fighting to protect worker employment amid rising wealth inequality.
UAW Leaders Criticize GM's Robot Deployment
More than 1,000 union members are still "laid off indefinitely," James Cotton, president of UAW Local 22, told The Detroit News. He said that the company could bring some of those members back to work instead of installing the 50 robots.
The temporary layoffs were preceded by permanent layoffs involving another 1,200 workers at GM's Factory Zero in October 2025.
Andrew Bergman, a Local 22 member and union organizer who was among those laid off by GM, described corporate leaders in the automotive industry as prioritizing profits over human workers. "Technological development has the capability of making work safer for the working class and enabling workers to have a shorter work week without losing pay," Bergman told The Detroit News. "But in the bosses' and billionaires' hands it's used to pad profits and lay off workers."
Automakers Expand Assembly-Line Robotics Across US Facilities
Many automakers, including Stellantis NV and Ford Motor Company, have deployed assembly-line robots, such as Fanuc robot arms, as they push to automate more of their US operations. Hyundai Motor Company plans to deploy Atlas humanoid robots made by Boston Dynamics—which Hyundai acquired in 2020—to start working in the automaker's flagship EV facility in Georgia by 2028.
Industry Leaders and Workers Present Contrasting Views on Automation
The Detroit News highlighted how corporate leaders and workers conveyed "strikingly different messages" about AI, robotics, and automation during separate gatherings held in Detroit during the same week of June.
While the Reindustrialize Summit featured startup founder speeches about how robots could "empower our industrial base with superhuman manufacturing," the UAW Constitutional Convention featured UAW president Shawn Fain warning against "the threat of humanoid robotics and mass automation" undermining worker employment and wages at a time of rising wealth inequality.
FAQ
How many workers did GM lay off at Factory Zero?
GM laid off 1,300 workers in March through temporary layoffs, with those workers still out of work. The company also conducted permanent layoffs of 1,200 workers at Factory Zero in October 2025.
What type of robots did GM install at its Detroit EV factory?
GM installed approximately 50 robot arms manufactured by the Japanese robotics company FANUC. The robots are designed to help attach various components to vehicles during the assembly line process.
Why did UAW leaders criticize GM's robot installation?
UAW Local 22 president James Cotton said the company could bring back some of the 1,000-plus union members still "laid off indefinitely" instead of installing the 50 robots, highlighting tensions over automation replacing human workers.
