Centralizing resources to bet on AI, Apple eliminates more than 200 positions related to Siri and Vision Pro

Apple is undergoing a structural reorganization within its internal teams, cutting over 200 positions related to Siri, Vision Pro, and associated AI software. This move marks the tech giant’s accelerated shift away from some of its previous strategic priorities.

On August 21, according to Bloomberg, this round of layoffs affects around 100 positions related to Vision Pro and another approximately 100 roles within the Siri and software engineering teams.

Apple confirmed these changes, stating that it is “adjusting its business direction to provide the best experience for users,” and added that this adjustment will create new positions while eliminating some current roles.

This restructuring directly impacts Apple’s staffing for its mixed reality and voice assistant product lines, reflecting the company’s urgent need to catch up with competitors in the AI field.

For Apple investors, this adjustment signals that Vision Pro is unlikely to receive substantial resource investment in the short term, while a technology architecture overhaul for Siri could become a key factor in the future competitiveness of its products.

According to Bloomberg, citing informed sources, Apple has essentially dissolved the special team responsible for Vision Pro’s gaming features and reduced the department responsible for producing immersive video content for the device.

Immersive video has been a core selling point for Vision Pro since its launch in February 2024, but high production costs have already strained the related business.

Each 3D video requires coordination among multiple Apple employees and contractors; filming a single episode of an immersive video series can cost millions of dollars. Given Vision Pro’s limited active user base, this cost structure is unsustainable.

Apple has explained to employees that this adjustment is intended to recalibrate resource allocation based on actual user behavior and to redirect more investment toward other future products. The company said it will not completely abandon immersive video, planning to produce a smaller number of its own while encouraging third-party developers to create content for the device.

In terms of market performance, Vision Pro’s high price of $3,699 and the device’s unwieldy user experience have made it difficult to attract broad consumer interest, with limited penetration even in gaming.

Wallstreetcn previously reported that Apple has shelved plans for new iterations of the headset, shifting its focus toward developing AI smart glasses in the style of Meta. The release of the next-generation Vision Pro model may be delayed until as late as the end of 2028.

Changes in the Siri team’s positions are directly linked to an AI-enhanced version of the assistant soon to be launched.

According to Bloomberg, the new version of Siri is built on a completely new technical architecture. This foundational switch demands different expertise, prompting Apple to eliminate some existing positions, reallocate resources, and create new roles to support the upgraded Siri.

The Intelligent Systems Experience team, which belongs to Apple’s software engineering department and is responsible for some on-device AI development, is also affected.

Apple stated that as more internal teams incorporate AI features into apps, features, and services, the company is reorganizing related teams to better align with priorities and accelerate development, with this round of adjustments resulting in the elimination of some positions and the creation of new roles.

This round of layoffs comes as Apple faces a confluence of challenges. The company must both accelerate its efforts to close the AI gap with competitors and contend with rising manufacturing costs for flagship products due to AI infrastructure-related memory shortages.

This summer, Apple increased Mac and iPad prices and launched leasing options for its major hardware in an effort to absorb rising costs while expanding its consumer base.