- BT may go beyond 55,000 planned job cuts
- CEO says AI was not fully included in old targets
What happened: BT CEO says AI may drive deeper cuts
BT Group’s CEO, Allison Kirkby, said AI might lead to more job losses than earlier planned. BT had aimed to cut 40,000 to 55,000 jobs by 2030 to save costs. Kirkby noted that AI’s full effects were not included in these plans.
The company already uses AI in many ways. Customer service, network checks and daily tasks now rely on smart tools. The mobile unit, EE, uses a chatbot named Aimee. This bot handles around 60,000 customer chats each week.
BT also made other major changes. It closed its Derry office in 2024, which affected more than 300 workers. It sold business units in Italy and Ireland earlier this year. The group also talked about spinning off Openreach, though that idea is now on hold.
BT’s full-year results showed £900 million in cost savings. The demand for fibre broadband is still strong.
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Why it’s important
AI is changing how BT runs its services. It helps with speed and cost but may replace many jobs. This shift affects support, sales and network work. BT has saved money and gained more fibre users. But if AI grows faster, the company may reduce more roles than expected.
Closing offices and selling parts of the business shows a wider trend. These changes point to a leaner BT. More changes could follow. Other firms also use AI to cut staff. Telecom groups need to balance cost with the impact on people. This is now a key challenge for the industry.
