General Motors has installed roughly 50 collaborative robots — cobots built by Fanuc — at its Factory Zero plant in Detroit, the company's flagship facility for electric vehicles including the GMC Hummer EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV. The machines are being used to assist workers with attaching body panels along the assembly line. The move comes months after more than 1,000 workers were laid off from the same plant and has drawn a formal response from the United Auto Workers union. Local 22 of the UAW, which represents Factory Zero employees, has filed grievances against the robot installation. Union leaders argue that workers have understandable concerns when automation follows significant job cuts. GM says the cobots are designed to work alongside humans — not replace them — by reducing repetitive, physically demanding tasks and improving ergonomics and safety on the factory floor. Factory Zero was once promoted as a symbol of GM's electric vehicle transition and a source of new manufacturing jobs. Instead, the plant has cycled through production adjustments, temporary shutdowns and workforce reductions as EV demand fluctuated. GM's long-term plans The automation push fits a longer-term strategy GM executives have outlined for years. At the company's GM Forward event in late 2025, CEO Mary Barra emphasized the growing role of artificial intelligence and robotics, announcing a partnership with NVIDIA to develop next-generation factory systems. GM is not alone: Toyota has announced plans to deploy Digit humanoid robots at its Canadian operations, while BMW has expanded humanoid robot testing from the United States to its German facilities. Economics are driving the shift. Following the 2023 UAW contract, GM estimated labor costs would rise by roughly $500 per vehicle. With the next round of UAW contract negotiations approaching in 2028, the debate over automation's role in auto manufacturing is set to become a central battleground.