Apple Plans AI Team Closure in San Dieago, Employees Urged to Relocate

In an unexpected move, Apple has decided to shut down its Data Operations Annotations team in San Diego, a group of 121 employees dedicated to advancing the company's artificial intelligence initiatives, specifically enhancing Siri through voice service queries. These employees are now being instructed to relocate and merge with the Texas branch of the same team in Austin.

Initially composed of contractors responsible for listening to Siri queries, the team transitioned to full-time employees in 2019 after Apple made the listening practice optional for customers. The San Diego group focused on multiple languages, including Hebrew, English, Spanish dialects, Portuguese, Arabic, and French. The relocation announcement came from a top deputy to Apple's AI chief, John Giannandrea, as reported by Bloomberg and later confirmed by Apple.

An Apple spokeswoman clarified that the decision aims to consolidate its "Data Operations Annotations teams in the US together at our campus in Austin, where most of the team is already based." She assured current employees that they could continue their roles in Austin. However, employees in San Diego must decide to relocate by the end of February, with those choosing not to relocate facing termination on April 26.

Despite Apple's growth in San Diego, the consolidation of the AI team in Austin surprised many employees who expected relocation to a new Apple campus in the region. Numerous affected workers have expressed reluctance to move to Austin, citing concerns about eligibility for roles without engineering backgrounds. Apple has informed employees about the option to apply for other positions, but details about future employment remain unclear.

Apple is offering a $7,000 stipend to employees moving to Austin by the end of June to facilitate the relocation. Those declining the offer will have their roles eliminated, receiving severance pay based on their length of service and six months of health insurance.

While Apple had avoided mainly layoffs during the pandemic, the decision regarding the AI team in San Diego represents a notable departure. Some corporate retail jobs and recruiters were cut in April, and this recent move may lead to the departure of employees from the tech giant.