Apple cuts over 200 jobs in Siri and Vision Pro teams as AI pivot accelerates

Apple has eliminated more than 200 positions across its Siri digital assistant, Vision Pro headset, and software engineering divisions, the company confirmed Friday, in a restructuring that marks a decisive pivot toward artificial intelligence and next-generation wearable hardware.

The cuts split roughly evenly between two units. About 100 positions were removed from the Vision Pro organization, hitting teams that built games for the headset and produced its immersive Spatial video content. Apple is stepping back from first-party Vision Pro game development and scaling down its internal immersive video unit, instead pointing to third-party developers as the preferred path for that content. The headset itself is not being shut down: Apple has confirmed visionOS remains an active platform, with a new Vision Pro hardware revision potentially arriving as early as late 2028.

The other half of the cuts came from Siri-adjacent software teams, including the Intelligent Systems Experience group responsible for AI features across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple described the Siri reductions as a deliberate byproduct of rebuilding the assistant on a new technical architecture for its forthcoming AI-enhanced version — a shift that requires engineers with different skills than those running the current system.

Apple confirmed the layoffs in a statement: "We are making changes 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 will offer support and the opportunity to apply for other positions."

The strategic logic

Vision Pro launched in February 2024 at $3,499 and generated far more press than sales. Since then, Apple has faced consistent pressure on the product's near-term roadmap. The latest cuts suggest the company is narrowing its Vision Pro investment while keeping the platform alive as a long-term bet.

The Siri restructuring is the clearest signal yet of where Apple sees its near-term future. The company has faced sustained criticism for lagging behind Google and OpenAI in generative AI, and rebuilding Siri from the ground up — at the cost of 100 jobs — reflects the depth of the architectural overhaul underway. Smart glasses, which require lighter compute than Vision Pro but tighter AI integration, are widely seen as the real near-term wearable opportunity in Silicon Valley, with Meta's Ray-Ban glasses having demonstrated genuine consumer demand.
The layoffs were first reported by Bloomberg and confirmed by Apple on Friday.