GM replaces more than 1,000 workers with just 50 robots at flagship Detroit factory as furious union blasts move: 'We're disgusted'

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 move has drawn fierce criticism from United Auto Workers Local 22 President James Cotton, who rejected GM's assertion that the cobots are not replacing human workers.

GM has maintained that the robots are necessary to keep the Detroit-Hamtramck electric truck plant competitive while improving worker safety and ergonomics, a company spokesperson told the Daily Mail. 

'At Factory ZERO, we are implementing them alongside our team - helping improve safety and ergonomahahics while keeping our operations flexible and competitive,' the spokesperson said, adding that the affected workers have been placed on temporary layoff rather than permanently terminated.

But Cotto's statement to Crain's Detroit Business appears to dispute that characterization, arguing the machines have come at the expense of union jobs.

'Our manpower is being taken away from us,' Cotton told Crain's. 'From top to bottom, we're disgusted that they have cobots in our plants.' 

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. 

GM also announced a partnership with Nvidia focused on developing next-generation factory robotics and AI-powered manufacturing systems, with CEO Mary Barra saying at the time that automation would improve efficiency while allowing employees to focus on higher-value work.

The temporary layoffs, which were announced Friday morning to impacted employees, were across the business. 

Some were attributed to poor performance, while others formed part of a broader review aimed at reorganizing priorities at the automaker, according to a person familiar with the decision who spoke with CNBC on condition of anonymity. 

A majority of those affected were salaried workers at GM's global technical center in Warren, Michigan, the person said. The United Auto Workers said roughly 50 union members were also among those laid off.

The move comes as GM targets $2 billion in fixed-cost reductions this year amid slowing US sales, deteriorating performance in China and a recalibration of its 'all-in' electric vehicle strategy as consumer adoption comes in weaker than expected, according to CNBC.

On Reddit, one post from a GM employee in the r/GeneralMotors community described being laid off the same day, writing that they 'had been talking to my manager about when my title was going to get switched' and felt 'burned out' before receiving an email notice rather than a call.

'I carried my team in automation, and to not even get a call from HR just an email was a gut punch,' the user wrote. 

'I had a feeling I would be let go because they wouldn't switch me to dev… I told my manager what would happen to all the QAs in June. I guess all the QAs are now out at GM.'

The post reflects growing frustration among some employees over how the cuts were handled, particularly within technical and automation-related roles.

President Shawn Fain said workers are 'in a fight for humanity,' according to the News Tribune.

'The fruits of our labor have multiplied like never before, but workers aren't reaping the harvest,' he said.

'And if AI continues to be used as an accessory to that crime, it has to be stopped - it doesn't have to be this way - in a just society, when workers create more value, they see more of the benefit.'

Meanwhile, GM reported $4.25 billion in first-quarter 2026 profits, up 22 percent from a year earlier, according to Yahoo Finance.