Apple is revising the structure of some of its key teams and, according to Bloomberg, has eliminated more than 200 positions in areas related to the Vision Pro headset, the Siri voice assistant, and artificial intelligence projects. This move comes as Apple seeks to focus more on developing new products and competing in the field of artificial intelligence.
Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that about 100 positions from the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset development team were cut. About 100 other jobs are related to the Siri development team and a group called Intelligent Systems Experience; a team that works on using and integrating AI capabilities into Apple products.
According to Bloomberg’s sources, Apple is redesigning its organizational structure to allocate more resources and personnel to newer projects in the AI domain and future generations of its devices.
Apple confirms layoffs
Apple confirmed the layoffs to Bloomberg. The company said that under the new changes, some new roles will be created, but a limited number of current positions will also be affected by these changes.
Apple described the purpose of this redesign as “evolving the business to deliver the best experiences to users.”
According to the published report, about half of the eliminated positions are related to the Vision Pro team; an issue that may indicate a shift in Apple’s priorities in the mixed-reality market. However, these changes do not necessarily mean abandoning the Vision Pro and could be part of Apple’s broader plan to reallocate resources across projects.
Siri and AI; the focus of Apple’s changes
Another portion of the layoffs relates to the Siri team and Intelligent Systems Experience; areas that have drawn increased attention in recent years due to the growing importance of generative AI.
According to TechCrunch, Apple is trying to strengthen its position in the AI race and integrate intelligent capabilities more deeply into its products and operating systems. For this reason, reorganizing AI-related teams could be part of the company’s course change to accelerate the development of new products and features.
Apple amid a challenging period
These changes come as Apple faces a set of commercial and technological challenges. Rising costs related to product manufacturing, pressures from increased demand for hardware used in AI development, and efforts to maintain competitive standing in the market are among the factors that have influenced the company’s recent decisions.
Earlier this summer, Apple raised the prices of some Mac and iPad models and recently introduced a leasing plan for its major hardware products; a move that could help the company attract more customers and manage higher costs.
On the other hand, Apple is also embroiled in a legal dispute with OpenAI, accusing the company of trade theft; a case that has been added to the list of Apple’s legal and competitive challenges during a fast-changing AI industry.
Overall, the elimination of hundreds of positions from the Vision Pro, Siri, and AI project teams indicates that Apple is resetting its priorities; a change that will likely direct more resources toward AI and the next generation of the company’s products.