Snapchat Owner Cuts 1,000 Jobs, Citing AI Efficiency • Channels Television

In this file photo taken on March 1, 2017 the Snapchat log-in page is displayed on a mobile phone in Glendale, California. (Robyn BECK / AFP) The tech firm behind social network Snapchat cut 1,000 jobs on Wednesday, saying AI is boosting efficiency as it strives to be profitable. The shake-up at Snap involves about 16 percent of its full-time employees and elimination of more than 300 unfilled roles, chief executive Evan Spiegel said in a memo shared by the company. “We believe that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence enable our teams to reduce repetitive work, increase velocity and better support our community, partners and advertisers,” Spiegel wrote. “We have already witnessed small squads leveraging AI tools to drive meaningful progress across several important initiatives.” The southern California-based tech firm joins a growing list of companies reducing staff while extolling productivity gains resulting from the use of AI. “This is an incredibly difficult decision, and I am deeply sorry to the colleagues who will be leaving us,” Spiegel wrote. Snap expects to cut more than $500 million from its annual costs by the second half of this year, establishing “a clearer path to net-income profitability,” the memo said. Snap has
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