UAW President Shawn Fain and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders have taken a stand against the integration of AI in the automotive manufacturing industry, citing its adverse impact on workers, the environment and the economy.
As reported by Detroit Free PressFain and Sanders held a press conference in Washington on April 16th to warn of the negative impact of artificial intelligence on the industry. A number of other labor leaders from the American Federation of Teachers, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the Association of Flight Attendants, the National Education Association as well as the National Nurses Union, were also present to provide additional support.
Senator Sanders is seeking to regulate developments in artificial intelligence that he says will impact the environment, mental health and wealth inequality. “In 10 years, the idea of manufacturing jobs will no longer exist,” Sanders said. “The idea of the warehouse worker will no longer exist.”
This warning also applies to the automotive industry. In 2022, GM employed 51,000 workers at its manufacturing plants across the country. The General has mentioned the benefits of artificial intelligence on several occasions, such as improving safety, improving quality and enabling efficiency at its manufacturing facilities.
“GM is a people-centric company – we use AI and advanced software to help our teams minimize ergonomic stressors, achieve workplace safety, and improve quality in our manufacturing plants. Investing in our current and future workforce with better technology helps ensure that our teams have the skills and tools they need as we continue to expand our manufacturing footprint to meet customer demands,” GM said in a press release in March 2025.
Fain worries that AI will be integrated into the workplace without regulation, risking eliminating American jobs. Artificial intelligence without democratic regulation “is a non-starter,” he said.
In addition to pushing for such regulations, Bernie Sanders, along with New York Senator Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is urging a moratorium on the development of AI data centers to “guarantee the safety of humanity.”
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