Alarms go off at Verizon and T-Mobile: What many Americans feared is confirmed

The telecommunications giants in the United States, Verizon and T-Mobile, are under scrutiny. Especially after news broke that has shaken the sector globally. The British company BT Group, one of the largest in the United Kingdom in the field of telephony, internet, and digital services, has announced its intention to drastically reduce its workforce.

The reason: the growing implementation of artificial intelligence in its internal processes. This decision has put workers and industry experts on alert.

According to a report from the Financial Times, the company plans to lay off about 40,000 employees before 2030. The main reason for this cut is related to the accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence-based technologies. They allow many of the tasks previously performed by people to be automated.

BT Group, which had 99,000 employees by the end of 2023, aims to reduce that number to about 55,000 in the coming years. Chief Executive Officer Allison Kirkby has made it clear that the impact of artificial intelligence could be even greater than initially expected. This means that as this technology evolves, more layoffs could occur in order to reduce costs.

Verizon and T-Mobile can't turn their backs on artificial intelligence

What has happened in the United Kingdom hasn't gone unnoticed in the United States. Companies like T-Mobile and Verizon have already been exploring ways to incorporate artificial intelligence into their services. Although they haven't yet announced measures as drastic as those of BT Group, it can't be ruled out that they may make similar decisions in the future.

The employees of these companies are already watching the coming changes with concern. Artificial intelligence can bring great benefits in terms of speed and accuracy. But it also raises growing fears about the loss of thousands of jobs.

It's no wonder. If a company like BT can operate with almost half its current workforce thanks to this technology, others in the sector could follow the same path.

For some time now, both Verizon and T-Mobile have shown interest in modernizing their infrastructures. In addition to offering more personalized experiences to users through the use of AI. For example, virtual assistants or chatbots that handle online inquiries are just the beginning.

Progress will go even further

As these tools become more sophisticated, they could replace entire customer service departments. But also technical support and even administration.

In this context, analysts warn that the case of BT Group could be a model that inspires other telecommunications companies around the world. Automation promises to improve efficiency and reduce costs. But it could also put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk.

While there are those who benefit greatly from technological progress, for many other workers it represents a direct threat to their job stability.