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HomeTechnology Trump’s Push for Manufacturing Jobs Faces Robot Automation Challenge

 Trump’s Push for Manufacturing Jobs Faces Robot Automation Challenge

President Donald Trump has focused on boosting manufacturing jobs in the U.S. However, many of his tech allies are backing robots that replace human workers.

Elon Musk, a major donor and adviser, promotes humanoid robots as a future business opportunity for Tesla. He said in February that these robots could produce almost any product.

Similarly, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, has invested in advanced robotics companies. Last year, he funded Figure, a humanoid robot firm targeting manufacturing and warehouse operations. The company claims humanoid robots will transform various industries.

Other tech leaders like Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and OpenAI’s Sam Altman also invested in Figure, although OpenAI ended its partnership last year. This situation highlights a key issue: Trump pushes for more manufacturing jobs, but his tech allies support automation that could reduce those jobs. Georgetown professor Harry Holzer explains this conflict clearly, noting that enthusiasm for automation clashes with efforts to bring back manufacturing jobs.

Jensen Huang said at a conference that AI will create new factories and new jobs in trades like plumbing and electricity. He also believes AI will boost productivity and help companies expand, creating more jobs overall. He emphasized that the real threat comes from how companies use AI, not AI itself.

Despite some tariff rollbacks, tariffs remain high to encourage reshoring factories and jobs. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick emphasized the plan to attract manufacturers back to the U.S. and build a “golden age” of American factories.

The share of U.S. workers in manufacturing has fallen sharply over decades. Experts link this to offshoring and automation. Ball State University researchers noted that automation has long increased factory productivity, which kept manufacturing jobs stagnant even as output grew.

Philipp Kircher from Cornell University says automation is nothing new. Many of Trump’s tech allies back companies that want to automate more with AI-powered robots. For example, Vicarious, backed by Bezos, Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg, offers robots that cut labor needs and costs in warehouses.

Yong Suk Lee from Notre Dame says tech leaders and trade advisers have opposing views on automation and manufacturing jobs. He predicts tech views will dominate because companies face higher U.S. wages than overseas and will likely choose automation.

In a public spat, Musk criticized Peter Navarro, Trump’s trade adviser, as a “moron,” while Navarro dismissed Musk as just a car assembler.

Experts agree automation will continue regardless of Trump’s allies. Some new jobs may emerge to support and maintain the machines. However, the exact impact on manufacturing jobs remains uncertain.

Currently, U.S. manufacturers struggle with worker shortages. One in five factories reported not operating at full capacity due to labor issues, according to Michigan State University.

Amazon-backed Agility Robots sees reshoring as a chance to boost automation with humanoid robots. They promote robots as a way to stay competitive in manufacturing.

Amazon says its robotics aim to improve safety, productivity, and help workers develop skills. They claim to have created more U.S. jobs in the last decade than any other company.

In sum, the goal to increase manufacturing jobs faces challenges as technology pushes automation. The tension between these goals creates a complex future for U.S. manufacturing.

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