Apple Cuts 150 Siri and Vision Pro Jobs Amid Greater AI Focus

Apple is reducing its workforce by nearly 150 employees as the company shifts its focus towards artificial intelligence, according to the Los Angeles Times. The layoffs are taking place at Apple's Cupertino headquarters and Sunnyvale offices, primarily affecting software engineering and machine learning teams working on Siri, the digital assistant, and the Vision Pro headset.

In June, Apple also cut 57 jobs in Escondido. Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that the Vision Pro team had seen about 100 job eliminations, and another 100 were cut from the Siri and software teams. Bloomberg further revealed that Apple intends to create roles to back the upcoming AI-enhanced version of Siri while adding new positions to its Intelligence Systems Experience team.

The company has assured workers that the Vision Pro project is not being discontinued, but it is prioritizing smart glasses development that won't support immersive video or games. This realignment aims to deliver the best user experiences, though it will result in the loss of some existing roles. The job cuts coincide with the upcoming leadership change at Apple, with CEO Tim Cook set to depart next week, and John Ternus, the hardware chief, set to take over.

Although these layoffs are relatively minor compared to the tens of thousands of job cuts at competitors like Amazon, Block, Meta, Oracle, and Snap, they are part of a broader industry-wide shift. In the first quarter of this year, tech companies in the United States eliminated 123,653 jobs, a 66% increase from the same period a year prior.

Experts attribute these changes to advancements in AI tools, which are transforming job roles as some executives argue that fewer employees are needed when staff can generate code and create content using AI.

Meanwhile, a study published in June by Ramp and workforce analytics firm Revelio Labs found that high-intensity AI adopters expanded their headcount two years after adoption. For the latest AI news, readers can subscribe to the daily AI Newsletter.