Apple Inc. has made the decision to close its 121-person team in San Diego, which focused on improving the performance of Siri through data-related operations. Team members have been informed that they have the option to relocate to Austin, Texas and join the existing team there, or be laid off. Employees have until the end of February to make their decision, and if they choose not to relocate, their employment will be terminated on April 26.
Apple’s Deputy Chief of AI, Christine DeFilippo, delivered the announcement to the San Diego team. Apple confirmed the relocation decision, stating that it is moving all of its “Data Operations and Annotations” teams in the United States to Austin. The company also expressed its commitment to San Diego and plans to further expand its engineering teams in the area.
The decision to close the team in San Diego came as a surprise to employees, who were initially informed that they would be relocated to Apple’s new campus in the city. Now, they are faced with the prospect of moving to Texas. According to Bloomberg, most affected employees have expressed reluctance to relocate to Austin. Apple has offered employees the opportunity to apply for other positions, but some are concerned that their non-engineering qualifications may limit their chances.
The closure of the San Diego team could result in the termination of several dozen employees. So far, Apple has avoided mass layoffs during the pandemic. However, in April 2023, some reductions were made in corporate sales positions.
The affected team in San Diego focused on improving Siri in multiple languages, including Hebrew, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and French. The team evolved from mostly contract-based to full-time positions over the years. They were also involved in the development of Apple’s AI products based on large language models (LLM). Apple is expected to provide more details about its LLM plans in June.
Overall, the closure of the AI team in San Diego represents a significant change for Apple and the affected employees, which could impact the company’s AI capabilities and employment.
FAQ:
1. What did Apple close in San Diego?
Apple closed its 121-person team dedicated to improving Siri in San Diego.
2. Why do team members have to relocate to Austin or face job loss?
Apple has decided that team members have the option to relocate to Austin and join the existing team there or be laid off.
The source of the article is from the blog coletivometranca.com.br