A decade ago, a glass operator’s day was defined by physical movement, adjusting wheels, lifting and repositioning lites and fine-tuning equipment by feel and experience. That same operator today might oversee multiple robotic cells, monitor dashboards and respond to system alerts.
Across glass fabrication facilities, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) have shifted the industry from physical repetition to technical oversight and data fluency. This shift has raised anxieties amongst workers who fear that technology will enable industries to produce far more with far fewer workers.
While concerns about job loss are valid, the more significant disruption is not elimination, but transformation. Rapid automation advancements and the rise of AI have impacted everything throughout the glass industry, from material glass handling, edging and computer numerical control operator roles; but instead of replacing workers, glass companies are shifting roles to further accommodate technology.
“Five to 10 years ago, roles were largely physical and task-driven,” explains Ann Greco of Salem Fabrication Technologies Group in North Carolina. “Today, workers are more focused on monitoring automated cells, managing workflow, checking quality and responding to system alerts. The work has shifted from constant manual movement to process oversight and coordination.”
Automation in Action
Jon Kelley, plant manager of Tristar Glass Inc.’s Catoosa, Oklahoma, facility, notes that the adoption of thermoplastic spacers has led to some of the most significant labor changes occurring in insulating glass lines. Tasks such as spacer bending, polyisobutylene application and spacer placement have shifted from manual assembly to automated processes, moving operator roles toward inspection, quality control and troubleshooting, says Kelley.
“For us, automation has also reshaped roles in lamination, polishing and seaming/batching,” he adds. “Operators now focus more on monitoring equipment, maintaining consistency and responding to process issues rather than performing repetitive manual tasks.”
According to Nicola Lattuada, president of Lattuada North America Inc. and partner of Adelio Lattuada Srl, edging and pre-processing are on the frontline of change. Around a decade ago, edging was a manual process requiring constant operator adjustments, physical handling and strong individual know-how, he explains. As robotic cells became integrated into straight-line edging machines and vertical washing systems, operators shifted into a supervisor role instead of performing manual adjustments.
“Instead of manually setting wheels or repositioning glass, operators now monitor performance, manage production data and oversee multiple machines at once,” says Lattuada. “With systems like our A-WR automatic wheel wear recovery and i-AL automatic adjustment system, much of the traditional ‘operator-dependent’ knowledge is embedded directly into the machine. This reduces variability between shifts and significantly improves consistency and safety.”
Measuring Impact
While high-profile layoffs have occurred primarily in white-collar tech industries, the broader shift toward automation is influencing how manufacturers in various industries evaluate labor, capital allocation and long-term workforce strategy. Research reinforces the notion that the impact of automation and AI extends beyond isolated job cuts.
An MIT study in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory dubbed Project Iceberg estimates that AI can already replace nearly 12% of the United States labor market. The study relies on a labor simulation tool called the Iceberg Index, which simulates how 151 million U.S. workers interact and are affected by AI. Furthermore, the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Survey 2025 reports that, on average, workers can expect that two-fifths (39%) of their existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated over the 2025-2030 period due to the rapid pace of change in AI and technology.
In the glass machinery industry, demand for automation, especially integrated solutions, is strong and consistent, says Lattuada, underscoring the glass industry’s continued pivot to automated solutions. He explains that’s because there is growing interest in robotic cells, which combine edging machines and vertical washing machines. These cells are complete with glass tracking, measurement systems, digital twin simulation and remote diagnostics.
“Customers want scalability and future integration capability from day one,” says Lattuada. “Investment decisions increasingly are driven by return on investment, productivity gains, energy efficiency and reliability, not just labor savings.”
Despite predictions of massive job losses throughout the U.S. workforce, the reality is more nuanced.
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