4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Aug 22, 2026 01:22 PM IST
Apple is laying off at least 200 staffers across teams focused on developing its flagship Siri voice assistant and Vision Pro headset.
The job cuts are part of the iPhone-maker’s efforts to focus on new devices and AI. Out of 200, over 100 jobs are set to be eliminated from the Vision Pro division and another 100 positions from the Siri team and other internal units, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The iPhone-maker is shutting down an entire Vision Pro team focused on developing gaming features for the mixed-reality headset. It is also shrinking the size of an internal unit responsible for producing immersive video content for Vision Pro users.
Intelligent Systems Experience, Apple’s software engineering optimisation team responsible for some of the AI features on its devices, is also reportedly set to be affected by the layoffs. Apple has said that the realignment of some teams is being done 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. 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,” the Cupertino-based tech giant added.
Is AI behind the Apple layoffs?
Since the beginning of this year, tech giants such as Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Cloudflare have reported increased revenue alongside massive layoffs, attributing both trends to their use of AI. US tech companies have slashed nearly 1,40,000 jobs since the start of 2026, according to a report by Financial Times, with companies increasingly citing AI as a factor in the job cuts.
The revamped Siri AI made its debut at this year’s WWDC. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
However, Apple’s latest round of layoffs do not appear to have anything to do with either AI-driven automation or funneling billions of dollars toward AI data centre buildouts.
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Reshuffling of the Siri team is reportedly tied to Apple’s broader ambitions of an AI-infused version of its assistant by revamping the underlying technical architecture. This has prompted the company to eliminate a small number of existing roles, reallocate resources, and create new positions supporting the updated Siri.
Meanwhile, Apple’s Intelligent Systems Experience team is in the fray as eliminating existing positions will help the company match priorities and reorganise work to bring AI functions to apps, features, and services.
As for the Vision Pro cuts, Apple is reportedly looking to better align the device with how customers are using it and directing more resources toward other future products. Apple is expected to be working on its own version of smart glasses, along with a new Vision Pro model set to release by the end of 2028.
Gaming, immersive content on Vision Pro
Apple has reportedly emphasised that the Vision Pro and its visionOS operating system are not going away. Launched in February 2024, Apple’s mixed-reality headset was initially seen as a groundbreaking product. However, its present-day $3,699 price has made it a hard sell.
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Apple’s Vision Pro “spatial computing” headset in San Francisco on Feb. 5, 2024. The $3,500 first-generation Vision Pro is going for as little as $2,500 on resale websites. (Clara Mokri/The New York Times)
Up till now, Apple had a team focused on gaming features for the Vision Pro, and yet, the headset failed to gain traction among gamers.
Immersive video, on the other hand, has been a key selling point of the Vision Pro since its launch. However, the expenses stemming from producing such 3D videos is said to have strained the business. Moving forward, Apple plans to produce a smaller number of videos in-house while encouraging third-party companies to develop content for the device.
