What does this mean for workers? BMW's moves touch 4 jobs, which together employ about 5.1 million people in the U.S. Across them, AI and robots already touch between 19m (team assemblers) and 4h 31m (laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand) of a typical 8-hour shift. A single company's move is an early signal for these jobs, and the time cards show how far the change has spread nationally.
Announced means the company said it would do this; nothing is running yet. A pilot is a limited test, often at a few sites, that may or may not expand.
On the floor
- BMW plans to use Figure 03 humanoid for parts sequencing at Spartanburg
After Figure 02 inserted sheet metal parts in the Spartanburg body shop and supported production of more than 30,000 BMW X3s over 11 months, BMW says it will deploy Figure 03. The new robot is to pick unsorted components from containers onto sequencing trolleys and move them to a collection point for assembly.
The Robot Report · Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand, Team Assemblers
- BMW to pilot two Hexagon humanoid robots at its Leipzig plant
BMW plans a months-long pilot of two Hexagon AEON humanoid robots at Leipzig starting in summer 2026 to move and handle parts. BMW said it does not currently plan to reduce its workforce.
- BMW pilots AI that plans final quality checks for each car at Regensburg
BMW's Regensburg plant is piloting GenAI4Q, an AI tool that builds an individual inspection catalogue for each vehicle in final assembly inspection. The plant builds about 1,400 vehicles a day.
BMW Group PressClub · Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Jobs affected
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand4h 31m of 8h touched · 3 million workers · $40k · +1.8% by 2035Where AI or robots show up most: Move freight, stock, or other materials to and from storage or production areas, loading docks, delivery vehicles, ships, or containers, by hand or using trucks, tractors, or other equipment (4h 13m a shift, robots)
- Team Assemblers19m of 8h touched · 1.4 million workers · $45k · +1.1% by 2035Where AI or robots show up most: Operate machinery and heavy equipment, such as forklifts (18m a shift, robots)
- Helpers for Production Workers2h 55m of 8h touched · 166,000 workers · $39k · -8.2% by 2035Where AI or robots show up most: Help production workers by performing duties of lesser skill, such as supplying or holding materials or tools, or cleaning work areas and equipment (37m a shift, robots)
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers24m of 8h touched · 597,000 workers · $49k · +2.5% by 2035Where AI or robots show up most: Position products, components, or parts for testing (12m a shift, robots)