Verizon CEO Says AI Will Replace Large Share of Customer Service Tasks; 13,000 Job Cuts Planned

According to CEO Dan Schulman speaking at Bloomberg Tech conference on June 4, Verizon plans to deploy AI to handle a large percentage of its customer service work, including routine tasks like password recovery and billing inquiries, with employees and AI agents collaborating on complex issues. The shift aims to improve financial performance and customer satisfaction.

Verizon previously announced plans to reduce workforce by over 13,000 employees and established a $20 million reskilling and career transition fund for departing staff. The comments coincide with the company's improved performance; Verizon reported 55,000 first-quarter postpaid phone net additions, marking its first positive first quarter for this metric since 2013.