Apple Inc is cutting more than 200 jobs across teams responsible for the Siri digital assistant, artificial intelligence (AI) features and the Vision Pro headset as the company realigns resources towards new devices and AI.
The cuts include about 100 positions in the Vision Pro organisation and another 100 across the Siri and software teams, according to people familiar with the matter.
Apple is also laying off employees from its Intelligent Systems Experience team, a unit within its software engineering organisation responsible for some AI features on its devices.
In a statement, Apple said it was realigning some teams ‘to evolve our business to deliver the best experiences for our users’.
‘While we will create new roles as part of this change, it will also impact a limited number of existing roles,’ the company said.
‘We are grateful to these team members for their contributions, and we are committed to supporting them throughout their transition, including opportunities to apply for other roles at Apple.’
Siri and AI teams undergo restructuring
The changes to the Siri team are linked to an upcoming AI-infused version of the digital assistant, which is being built on a new technical architecture.
The shift requires different expertise, prompting Apple to eliminate a small number of existing roles, reallocate resources and create new positions to support the updated Siri.
Meanwhile, the restructuring of the Intelligent Systems Experience team reflects Apple’s efforts to reorganise work on AI-powered capabilities.
As more groups develop AI functions for apps, features and services, the company is realigning teams with its priorities and seeking to accelerate development.
The restructuring will result in the elimination of some existing positions while new roles are created.
Vision Pro teams scaled back
Apple is largely shutting down a Vision Pro team focused on gaming and reducing the size of a unit responsible for producing immersive video content for the headset.
Employees were told that the changes were aimed at realigning priorities based on how customers use the device and directing resources more effectively towards other future products.
Immersive video has been a key selling point for the Vision Pro since its launch. However, producing each 3D video requires multiple crews of Apple employees and contractors.
An episode in an immersive video series can cost several million dollars to produce, and the expenses have strained the business given the limited number of active Vision Pro users.
The Vision Pro was seen as a groundbreaking product when it launched in February 2024. However, the cumbersome nature of the headset and its US$3,699 (RM14,942) price have made it difficult to sell.
Apple is not abandoning immersive video entirely. The company plans to produce a smaller number of videos in-house while encouraging third-party companies to create content for the device.
Although Apple has maintained a team focused on gaming features for the Vision Pro, the headset has gained limited traction among gamers.
Focus shifts to future products
Apple has told employees that the Vision Pro and its visionOS operating system will continue.
In the near term, however, the company is focused on launching smart glasses that would not support immersive video or advanced gaming titles.
Apple is also still considering a new Vision Pro model for release as early as the end of 2028, according to a previous Bloomberg News report.
AppleInsider earlier reported that Apple had made some job cuts to its Vision Pro team on Thursday.
