AT&T Is Automating Away Jobs—and Its Old Telecom Empire
The telecom giant is eager to show Wall Street that it can do more with less. That means fewer employees, less electricity, and increased automation.
AT&T is refining its business model amid the rise of artificial intelligence, focusing on cutting costs and transitioning from a traditional telecom empire to a more innovative, cloud-based operation. According to company officials, AT&T aims to reduce its workforce to around 85,000 employees by 2030, down from the current headcount. The telecom giant generated less revenue per employee last year compared to its competitors Verizon and T-Mobile, both of which have also eliminated jobs recently.
To achieve this transformation, AT&T is deploying AI systems for various tasks, including customer service, identifying cell tower locations, and diagnosing network issues. The company has also introduced a generative AI system called GeoModeler, which adjusts network settings in real-time during extreme weather events. Next year, AT&T plans to replace hardware at thousands of central hubs with cloud software from Israeli startup DriveNets, enabling technicians to make remote adjustments.
This shift will save the company both personnel attention and electricity, as the decommissioning of the energy-intensive copper wire network has already led to a 13.1% reduction in energy consumption since 2020.
The move to fiber-based services, combined with the integration of AI, positions AT&T to compete effectively in the evolving connectivity landscape. While some staff members express hesitation about the rapid transition, AT&T believes that the investment in AI and cloud technology will lead to the creation of new roles focused on AI agent development and overseeing automated processes.
Meanwhile, the company is also working on plans to potentially collaborate with satellite internet providers, including Elon Musk's Starlink, to offer customers the best connectivity options based on their location and needs.
Written by urgent.news from Wired's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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