Apple Reportedly Planned to Replace 5,000 Support Employees With AI

Sep 29, 2026 · 4:11 PM UTC ·1 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 3 views

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Apple Reportedly Planned to Replace 5,000 Support Employees With AITuesday September 29, 2026 9:11 am PDT by Joe RossignolApple recently considered laying off about 5,000 support employees, but it has put those plans on hold indefinitely, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. While many of Apple's phone systems already had a basic automated operator, the Apple Support phone line is now using a voice powered by generative AI. The virtual assistant can answer questions and provide step-by-step instructions for troubleshooting issues with your Apple products.

Key facts

▪Apple Reportedly Planned to Replace 5,000 Support Employees With AITuesday September 29, 2026 9:11 am PDT by Joe RossignolApple recently considered laying off about 5,000 support employees, but it has put those plans on hold indefinitely, a
▪While many of Apple's phone systems already had a basic automated operator, the Apple Support phone line is now using a voice powered by generative AI.
▪The virtual assistant can answer questions and provide step-by-step instructions for troubleshooting issues with your Apple products.

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Canonical URL	https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/29/apple-reportedly-planned-5000-applecare-layoffs/
Publication time	Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:11:25 +0000
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Apple Reportedly Planned to Replace 5,000 Support Employees With AITuesday September 29, 2026 9:11 am PDT by Joe RossignolApple recently considered laying off about 5,000 support employees, but it has put those plans on hold indefinitely, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The report said that Apple believed that AI-powered phone and web agents could take over some of the responsibilities performed by the employees who would have been let go, but Apple is no longer "currently looking to take such a step." Last month, we reported that customers who call the AppleCare phone number (1-800-APL-CARE) from the U.S. or Canada are now routed to an AI-powered support assistant.

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