Ford Faces Worker Disputes Over Snack Vending Errors and AI Quality Shortfalls

Employees at several Ford plants in the United States say self‑service snack kiosks have repeatedly malfunctioned, causing payment failures that led to wrongful theft accusations. Union representatives report that at least three workers, including long‑time Michigan employee Nik Nabozni, were reinstated after internal investigations cleared them. Ford acknowledged the complaints and said it is working with kiosk operator Aramark to address the issues.

Separately, Ford announced it has rehired roughly 350 experienced engineers after its artificial‑intelligence‑driven quality‑control system failed to meet expectations. Vice president of hardware development Charles Poon admitted the company overestimated AI’s capabilities and emphasized the need for seasoned “gray‑beard” engineers to mentor the technology and improve vehicle quality. CEO Jim Farley noted the rehires have already generated substantial cost savings and will enhance future AI performance.