BT Group CEO Allison Kirkby has warned of a likely increase in the scale of staff cuts amid the active introduction of artificial intelligence technologies. According to her, advances in AI can significantly affect the company's employment structure and lead to cuts exceeding previously announced plans.
BT Group has already announced plans to cut up to 55,000 jobs by 2030, including external contractors. These measures are part of a strategy to reduce costs by 3 billion pounds by the end of the decade. Kirkby stressed that the forecasts for cuts announced earlier "do not reflect the full potential of AI," adding that the possibilities of further automation may allow the company to reduce the number of employees even more.
The company notes that the active use of artificial intelligence in operational processes, maintenance and customer service already has a significant impact on business efficiency. These changes correspond to the policy of optimizing costs and adapting to new technological realities.
Kirkby also spoke about the likelihood of a review of the strategy in relation to the Openreach division, which deals with network infrastructure. According to her, if the value of Openreach continues to be not adequately reflected in the market capitalization of BT, the company's management will consider the possibility of separating this asset.
