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One of the biggest problems AI鈥檚 rise has created was the threat to job security and it looks like we will have to start worrying about another thing: robots.

At GM鈥檚 Factory ZERO plant in Detroit, 50 robots have replaced 1,000 workers, according to reports from the company.

The machines are known as cobots because they are designed to work together with human employees. They help attach vehicle body panels during production, which GM says makes the factory safer and more efficient.

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What Happened At GM?

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GM has said the job losses are temporary, but it has not given a timeline for when affected workers could return. That missing date is doing a lot of work, because temporary job losses can feel permanent when robots have already taken over the task.

Company spokesperson Kevin Kelly said, 鈥淲e鈥檝e been installing cobots across our manufacturing footprint as part of a broader push to bring more advanced technology into our operations. At Factory ZERO, we are implementing them alongside our team, helping improve safety and ergonomics, while keeping our operations flexible and competitive.鈥�

Union leaders are not impressed. UAW Local 22 president James Cotton told Crain鈥檚 Detroit Business, 鈥淥ur manpower is being taken away from us.鈥� He added that the union is 鈥渄isgusted鈥� that cobots are now operating in the plant.

The union has filed grievances over the changes, and Cotton has also raised safety concerns about robots working with employees. UAW President Shawn Fain said workers are 鈥渋n a fight for humanity鈥� and said AI should not be used to stop employees sharing returns from higher productivity.

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Is This Happening In The UK Too?

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Make UK鈥檚 Making it Smarter report says UK manufacturing has been slow to adopt advanced tech when measured against other industrial economies. The report said the UK has 112 industrial robots for every 10,000 manufacturing workers, about half the EU average.

That lower robot count can sound reassuring for workers, but it also means UK factories risk losing ground. Make UK said closing the digitalisation gap in UK manufacturing could add around 拢150bn to GDP by 2035, equal to a 5% increase in the size of the economy.

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The report also found that 70% of manufacturers are investing in digital tools, but only 10% operate fully digital factories. Robotics and cobotics were named by 43% of manufacturers as having a meaningful effect on their business.

Labour shortages are also making companies move to more automated systems. Make UK said 36% of manufacturers spoke of labour shortages as a reason to invest in digitalisation, and 28% brought up sustainability goals.

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What Does This Mean For Jobs?

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AI threatened office work because it could write, search, code and answer questions. Robots threaten physical work because they can lift, attach, measure, move and repeat tasks without getting tired.

That does not mean every factory worker gets replaced. It means the safest jobs will be those that manage machines, repair them, improve production, check quality and solve problems when automated systems fail.

GM chief executive Mary Barra said last year that AI allows GM to 鈥渂uild smarter vehicles while empowering our workforce to focus on craftsmanship.鈥� That is the company view, but workers want proof that craftsmanship will come with real jobs, not fewer working hours.

Make UK鈥檚 report also shows why the transition is not easy. Nearly half of manufacturers, 46%, named a lack of technical skills as their biggest barrier to adoption, and 41% named problems caused by old IT infrastructure.

That means robots are changing the job threat from one question into two. Workers need protection from being replaced, and companies need enough skilled people to run the machines they are buying.

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Can Robots Be Good News For Workers?

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Robots can make factories safer when they take on heavy, repetitive tasks. They can also help companies produce more, waste less and keep factories open in countries with high labour costs.

The trouble starts when businesses treat automation mainly as a payroll tool. If 50 machines can do work once done by 1,000 people, workers will ask who benefits from the savings.

The answer for the UK is not necessarily to avoid robots. Instead, the answer is to make the robot economy less brutal for workers by pairing automation with training and honest planning.