ANN ARBOR – Mich Auto’s Glenn Stevens Jr. says AI, robotics and advanced manufacturing could create a new generation of high-skilled jobs — but tariffs and slow-moving workforce development threaten Michigan’s competitive edge.
Michigan has spent more than a century building the automotive industry. The next chapter may be less about building cars and more about building the intelligent machines that build them.
That’s the opportunity Glenn Stevens Jr., executive director of Mich Auto, sees emerging as artificial intelligence moves from the computer screen onto the factory floor.
In a recent Mi Tech TV interview with Mike, Stevens discussed two forces that are reshaping Michigan’s automotive industry: the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and the growing impact of trade tariffs.
His message was both optimistic and urgent.
Michigan has the manufacturing expertise, engineering talent and industrial infrastructure to become a leader in AI-driven manufacturing. But Stevens says the state needs to move faster — particularly in preparing its workforce and creating an environment where manufacturers can continue investing in new technology.
AI Is Changing What a Factory Looks Like
For years, discussions about artificial intelligence have focused primarily on software, data and digital services.
That is changing.
AI is increasingly becoming physical.
On the factory floor, intelligent systems, robotics and automation are taking on increasingly complex tasks. The result is a manufacturing environment in which machines aren’t simply programmed to perform repetitive operations; they are becoming more capable of adapting, analyzing and responding to conditions around them.
That transformation will change the workforce along with the technology.
Stevens does not view automation simply as a threat to manufacturing jobs. Instead, he sees it creating a different category of work — jobs that require workers to understand increasingly sophisticated machines and systems.
The skills needed on tomorrow’s factory floor will increasingly involve programming, robotics, systems integration, maintenance and other advanced technical capabilities.
Michigan’s training programs are evolving to address that need, Stevens said, but the pace needs to accelerate.
That’s particularly important as Michigan competes with countries such as China, where investment in advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence is moving rapidly.
The race isn’t just to build the next generation of vehicles. It’s to build the technology and workforce that will make those vehicles possible.
The Tariff Problem
While AI represents a potential competitive advantage, trade policy is creating a different set of challenges for Michigan automakers.
Stevens criticized the current tariff environment for creating uncertainty while increasing the cost of materials and other inputs used throughout the automotive supply chain.
Those costs don’t necessarily stop at the factory gate.
They can ultimately reach consumers, contributing to already-high vehicle prices. Stevens noted that the average vehicle price has climbed by nearly $2,000 over four years to more than $52,000.
For an industry already spending heavily on electrification, automation, artificial intelligence and other technologies, higher input costs can make major investments more difficult.
And uncertainty can be nearly as problematic as the cost itself.
Automotive manufacturing depends on long-term planning and enormous capital investments. Manufacturers making decisions about factories, equipment and technology need some confidence about what their costs and market conditions will look like years into the future.
China Is Moving Fast
Stevens also challenged the idea that tariffs necessarily put the United States in a stronger competitive position.
China’s automotive industry continues to expand rapidly, with Chinese manufacturers exporting approximately 12 million to 14 million vehicles annually.
At the same time, Chinese automakers have limited access to the U.S. vehicle market.
Stevens argues that the disparity raises a larger question about America’s long-term position in the global automotive economy.
While the U.S. protects its domestic market, China is building scale, developing technology and expanding its presence around the world.
For Michigan, that competition isn’t theoretical.
The state is competing for investment, talent and manufacturing leadership in an industry that is becoming increasingly defined by software, automation, robotics and AI.
Michigan Could Build More Than Cars
That competition also creates what Stevens sees as one of Michigan’s biggest opportunities.
The state could become a major hub for the design and manufacturing of AI-powered robots and automation equipment.
Michigan already has a dense network of manufacturers, engineers, suppliers and technology companies. More importantly, it has something emerging technology companies desperately need: factories.
New automation technologies can be developed in a lab, but they ultimately have to work in the real world.
Michigan’s advanced-manufacturing base provides an opportunity to pilot those technologies on actual production floors, identify problems and refine systems before deploying them at scale.
That could create an entirely new layer of economic activity around the state’s automotive heritage.
Instead of simply asking how AI will change the people who build cars, Michigan can ask a bigger question:
Can Michigan become the place where the machines that build the future are designed and manufactured?
Stevens believes it can.
From Motor City to AI Manufacturing Hub
Michigan’s automotive advantage has always been rooted in more than the automobile itself. It is the ecosystem surrounding it — manufacturers, suppliers, engineers, skilled trades, research institutions and a workforce accustomed to solving complex production challenges.
AI doesn’t erase that advantage.
It could amplify it.
But doing so will require Michigan to keep pace with a rapidly changing global industry. That means investing in workforce development, encouraging manufacturers to adopt emerging technologies and creating conditions that allow companies to make long-term investments.
The state’s automotive legacy gives Michigan a head start.
The question now is whether it can turn that legacy into a leadership position in AI-powered manufacturing.
Watch the full Mi Tech TV interview with Mich Auto Executive Director Glenn Stevens Jr. for his insights on artificial intelligence, tariffs, workforce development and Michigan’s opportunity to lead the next era of automotive manufacturing.
