Apple Relocating Siri Evaluation Team in San Diego to Austin

[MacRumors]

Apple is relocating a team of around 120 people focused on improving Siri from San Diego to Austin later this year, according to multiple affected employees.

The reorganization was confirmed by Apple today in a statement shared with MacRumors.

"We're bringing our Data Operations Annotations teams in the US together at our campus in Austin, where a majority of the team is already based," an Apple spokesperson said. "Everyone currently employed will have the opportunity to continue their role with Apple in Austin. We are deeply committed to San Diego where we have grown significantly, and are continuing to hire as we expand our world-class engineering teams."

The news was first reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who said employees in San Diego willing to relocate to Austin by June will be able to continue in their roles. The report said employees who do not relocate or find another role within Apple will receive severance pay, and outlines many other specific details.

While some other large tech companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon have laid off thousands of employees over the past year, Apple has so far avoided this outcome. However, it is unlikely that all affected employees in San Diego are willing to relocate over a thousand miles away to Austin, so some may be facing termination.

"Data Operations Annotations" employees are primarily tasked with evaluating Siri's responses to queries from customers who have opted in to the Siri grading program. In the U.S., this work will continue entirely in Austin going forward. Apple has similar teams in China, Ireland, Singapore, Spain, and other countries around the world.

Apple had approximately 161,000 full-time employees as of September 30, according to a company filing last year.

Article Link: Apple Relocating Siri Evaluation Team in San Diego to Austin

 

[topdrawer]

condolences to the demoted employees moving to austin.

 

[sesnir]

lol Texas, how depressing

 

[Evagoras2001]

hahaha texas

 

[klasma]

So the team “focused on improving Siri” is called DOA. That explains a lot.

 

[andrewxgx]

CEO Handbook, page 236: how to perform group layoff without performing a group layoff

 

[MiniApple]

Let me Tell u(s) a story...

It seems this team is actually Apple internal, so the following does not apply, however it does for other Apple services... like when you look up an artist/song in Apple Music or similiar.

a few cents per search, if you get any work at all, because there is no guaranteed work for a region/country, no stable income, everything controlled and NDAd.

Conveniently all "neatly" outsourced to a certain telecom company (hint at the beginning) who's international offices just happen to reside in tax havens and so on and so fort.

lots of awesome tech is built from thankless and lemon pressing human labor.
At least it's not like a human filter for all the terrible things on social media plattforms.

 

[jz0309]

Sorry for those potentially getting laid off.
Having lived in San Diego myself, Austin would not be my first choice for relocation…but having a job is better than not having a job

 

[Macalway]

Choice is good. Even this sort of thing.

 

[lymbo]

Focused on improving Siri only in San Diego? Yeesh.

#bettereditor

 

[freedomlinux]

Focused on improving Siri only in San Diego? Yeesh.

It'll be so good that the city will be renamed to Siri Diego

 

[klasma]

Focused on improving Siri only in San Diego? Yeesh.

And now in Austin! I guess it‘ll take a while to improve it everywhere.

 

[milkrocket]

Let me Tell u(s) a story...

It seems this team is actually Apple internal, so the following does not apply, however it does for other Apple services... like when you look up an arist/song in Apple Music or similiar.

a few cents per search, if you get any work at all, because there is no guaranteed work for a region/country, no stable income, everything controlled and NDAd.

Conveniently all "neatly" outsourced to a certain telecom company (hint at the beginning) who's international offices just happen to reside in tax havens and so on and so fort.

lots of awesome tech is built onto thankless and lemon pressing human labor.
At least it's not like a human filter for all the terrible things on social media plattforms.

Wait ..... so are you saying Telus is outsourcing human labour for Apple? What are they doing exactly? Is the search result populated by a person in real time?

 

[contacos]

Nice way too fire people without firing people and most likely avoiding the (what I can only assume) strict regulations of California

 

[boast]

Quick search on Linkedin shows a few already have #opentowork on their profile.

 

[DocMultimedia]

The team “focused on improving Siri” being called DOA might explain some things.

That was the first thing I thought as well. Had to read it twice to believe it. DOA. Lol

 

[Eric_WVGG]

As a person who sincerely likes Austin, and even prefers it to San Diego: I would absolutely lose my **** if I were given an ultimatum like this.

The real estate market in Austin is utterly insane. The school system is crap, and telling your kids they have to lose all their friends is borderline traumatic.

Not cool, at all. Also 4 weeks severance, even with the "extra week for every year of employment," is insulting. Google is handing out 6 months paid to their laid off drones.

It's difficult for me to imagine this action not being partially motivated as a way of thinning some ranks without generating bad headlines (as @andrewxgx suggested)… I'm usually optimistic about Apple and give them the benefit of the doubt, but this is really awful.

 

[jz0309]

Nice way too fire people without firing people and most likely avoiding the (what I can only assume) strict regulations of California

What “strict regulations” are you referring to?

 

[Joe Rossignol]

Focused on improving Siri only in San Diego? Yeesh.

#bettereditor

Changed "in" to "from." Hope that helps!

 

[contacos]

As a person who sincerely likes Austin, and even prefers it to San Diego: I would absolutely lose my **** if I were given an ultimatum like this.

The real estate market in Austin is utterly insane. The school system is crap, and telling your kids they have to lose all their friends is borderline traumatic.

Not cool, at all. Also 4 weeks severance, even with the "extra week for every year of employment," is insulting. Google is handing out 6 months paid to their laid off drones.

It's difficult for me to imagine this action not being partially motivated as a way of thinning some ranks without generating bad headlines (as @andrewxgx suggested)… I'm usually optimistic about Apple and give them the benefit of the doubt, but this is really awful.

And then you move and still get fired. Happened to my Uncle in a C-Leven position once 😵‍💫

 

[segfaultdotorg]

I’d be circulating my resume. There’s no amount of money in the world that would make me want to live in Austin.

 

[Trolle]

Siri is terrible. They need to completely scrap it and start over

 

[Realityck]

"We're bringing our Data Operations Annotations teams in the US together at our campus in Austin, where a majority of the team is already based," an Apple spokesperson said. "Everyone currently employed will have the opportunity to continue their role with Apple in Austin. We are deeply committed to San Diego where we have grown significantly, and are continuing to hire as we expand our world-class engineering teams."

So not explained is what else is operating in San Diego that is pushing the Data Operations Annotations team to Austen Texas? Climate, surrounding environment of San Diego is very attractive. Food, entrainment of old town, the harbor, is great. I expect Apple might provide people that move to Texas moving costs and time to accomplish that. But there is a lot of tech industry in Calif so might make one readily consider another company.

 

[MiniApple]

Wait ..... so are you saying Telus is outsourcing human labour for Apple? What are they doing exactly? Is the search result populated by a person in real time?

some user types "John Lemon imagine" in iTunes/Apple Music whatever...
Doesn't matter if it's a typo or the user doen't know any better.

How does a search result improve?
How do you think the service suggests you are probably looking for "John Lennon imagine" instead?

🍏 outsources that work to said company who in turn hires people to figure such things out by knowing music/local trends and correct that into a database.

Easier to underpay these people and let them go while that middle company probably still makes a profit from the fruit company, while the fruit company gets the service improvements and a fixed rate and without all the human resources "hassle".

 

[Armada2]

The start of savings for Tim Apple's bonus at the end of the year 😂😂