BT Group plc (LON:BT) announced today it plans to reduce its workforce by up to 55,000 jobs over the next five to seven years, utilizing technology like artificial intelligence to streamline operations and reduce costs. The UK telecom company aims to decrease its total workforce to approximately 75,000 to 90,000 employees and contractors by 2028-2030, down from the current 130,000.
CEO Philip Jansen expressed confidence in the benefits of AI, particularly in delivering seamless customer service through technologies such as chatbots. Jansen also mentioned BT's exploration of new products and services leveraging generative AI and large language models.
Earlier this week, Vodafone (NASDAQ:VOD), once the world’s biggest mobile telecom group, announced it will cut 11,000 jobs (about 11% of its workforce) over three years.
Traditional telecom companies face tough competition from tech giants like Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), who offer similar services such as voice, messaging, and video calls, according to McKinsey.