Apple has postponed plans to lay off about 5,000 support personnel, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman (a subscription is required to read the article).
He says that the tech giant believed that AI-powered phone and web agents could take over some of the responsibilities performed by the employees who would have been let go. However, Apple is no longer “currently looking to take such a step,” Gurman says.
Still, as MacRumors noted last month, if you dial Apple Support’s phone number 1-800-APL-CARE from the U.S. or Canada, there’s a good chance that an AI-powered support assistant will now answer.
From the article: While many of Apple’s phone systems already had a basic automated operator, the Apple Support phone line is now using a voice powered by generative AI. The assistant can answer questions and troubleshoot issues with your Apple products, with it able to provide detailed step-by-step instructions. The assistant can still transfer you to a human advisor if it cannot answer a specific question, or if you ask to speak to a real person.
Here’s how the AI Assistant purportedly works
- Troubleshooting: The AI can answer questions and give you step-by-step instructions to fix device problems.
- Human Transfer: You can ask to speak with a real person at any time, or the system will transfer you if it cannot solve your problem.
- Availability: The change applies when dialing the main support number from the U.S. and Canada.
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