AT&T implements automation and AI to drive workforce reductions

AT&T is undergoing a strategic transformation to increase operational efficiency by integrating automation and artificial intelligence into its network and service operations. This shift aims to reduce costs and optimize energy consumption, with Chief Technology Officer Jeremy Legg noting that the company will not have the same headcount in five years as it does today.

The company is moving away from legacy landline services to focus on fiber internet and wireless networks. Having already reduced its workforce by more than half over the last decade, AT&T continues to implement layoffs. While the company has not officially confirmed specific long-term targets, reports suggest a goal of reaching approximately 85,000 employees by 2030. In the first half of 2026, the company cut roughly 2,100 jobs.

This transition is part of a broader effort to improve revenue per employee, a metric where AT&T has recently trailed competitors such as Verizon and T-Mobile. CEO John Stankey has stated the company intends to emerge as a dramatically different entity by the end of the decade.