GoKawiilAT&T CTO Says Headcount Will Keep Shrinking as AI Adoption Expands
AT&T CTO Jeremy Legg told WIRED the company's workforce will be smaller in five years, as it retires legacy landline infrastructure and automates internal processes with AI. AT&T cut about 8,000 jobs last year and roughly 2,100 more in the first half of 2026; a person familiar with the matter said the company is targeting around 85,000 employees by 2030, though AT&T disputed that figure as inaccurate. CEO John Stankey has said he wants AT&T to look like a 'dramatically different' company by decade's end.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
AT&T's comparison of its revenue per employee against rivals Verizon and T-Mobile suggests industry-wide pressure to match leaner staffing levels, which could accelerate similar cuts across telecom. The shift also illustrates how AI-driven automation and infrastructure modernization—like phasing out landlines—may be used to justify workforce reductions at legacy companies more broadly.
- AT&T plans further job cuts as it automates operations with AI.
- A person familiar with the matter cited an ~85,000-employee target by 2030, which AT&T disputes.
- The company is phasing out landline service while emphasizing fiber and wireless growth.
Source: wired.com — Paresh Dave, 2026-09-23
Published there as: “AT&T Is Automating Away Jobs—and Its Old Telecom Empire”
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.