Reportedly, Apple is planning to close its San Diego office, which currently houses a team of 121 employees, and merge the staff with its Texas team in Austin. The move, which has not been officially announced yet, puts the future employment of the Data Operations Annotations group at risk. This particular team is responsible for improving the company’s voice assistant Siri in select languages.
According to sources, the majority of employees are unwilling to relocate to Austin, citing a lack of engineering background as a major hurdle. If they choose not to switch locations, termination may be imminent, with an expected date of April 26. Apple has encouraged these employees to apply for other jobs within the company.
The decision to shut down the San Diego office and relocate the staff was reportedly made by Christine DeFilippo, a top deputy of John Giannandrea, Apple’s AI chief. A company spokesperson confirmed the relocation activity and assured that all current employees will have the opportunity to continue their roles in Austin.
In an effort to ease the transition, Apple is offering $7,000 relocation stipends for those who choose to stay in their roles. For those who are let go, they will receive four weeks of severance pay and additional benefits based on their years of service at Apple.
Apple’s decision to close the San Diego office comes amidst reports of the company’s focus on AI-based features, set to launch in 2024. While this move may streamline operations, it raises concerns about the impact on the affected employees and their future prospects within Apple.
The source of the article is from the blog j6simracing.com.br