Apple Shuts Down AI Team in San Diego, Could Result in Job Cuts
The Data Operations Annotations team is expected to relocate to Austin.
- Apple has decided to shut down a 121-member artificial intelligence team based in San Diego.
- The team is to be relocated to a site in Austin, and members have been given time until the end of February to choose to move.
Apple Inc. is shuttering operations on a team related to artificial intelligence operations in San Diego, which is expected to result in many employees being terminated from their posts. Apple has decided to move the entire team’s operations to Austin, Texas. Consequently, any employees who are unwilling to make the move are likely to be let go.
The team known as the Data Operations Annotations has been key to the operations and success of Siri, the company’s digital assistant, used by several million device users worldwide. It has members worldwide, including Spain, China, India, and Ireland. The San Diego team focuses on using Siri in French, Hebrew, English, Arabic, Spanish, and Portuguese.
See More: Big Tech Companies Start 2024 With New Round of Layoffs
The move is likely to result in many of the team members exiting the company owing to the long-distance move and the short notice for relocation. However, members willing to make the move would retain their roles and are offered stipends worth $7000. Members of the AI team could also potentially apply for other roles within the company.
The potential layoffs will also continue the trend of job cuts that have come from other tech giants, including Google, Amazon, X, Citigroup, and more. The growing role of AI in organizations is only expected to exacerbate the issue in the coming months and years. Apple is also expected to unveil its plans for its own large language models by June 2024.
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