HomeGM IT Department Cuts 10% of Staff, Shifts Focus to AI Developer Hiring
On May 11, General Motors confirmed a significant workforce reduction within its IT department, affecting approximately 600 salaried employees—over 10% of the division's total. This strategic move aims to reallocate resources toward recruiting top-tier talent with deep expertise in artificial intelligence. It signals the company's accelerated pivot from merely applying AI tools to embracing a core "AI-native" development philosophy as part of its broader transformation.
This layoff represents more than a headcount reduction; it is a targeted "skills realignment" to drive technological advancement. General Motors stated it is now prioritizing the hiring of specialists in AI-native development, data engineering, cloud engineering, agent development, and model engineering. Moving beyond the previous strategy of treating AI as a supplementary tool, the company's current objective is to achieve complete in-house development of AI systems. This encompasses designing foundational architectures, training models, and building integrated workflows.
In fact, significant turbulence has marked General Motors' software organization since Sterling Anderson, co-founder of Aurora, assumed the role of Chief Product Officer in May 2025. The company cut roughly 1,000 software-related positions in August 2024, followed by the collective departure of three senior executives, including former Chief AI Officer Barak Turovsky, in November 2025. To swiftly address this leadership gap, General Motors recruited Behrad Toghi, formerly head of AI at Apple, and Rashed Haq, the previous AI lead at Cruise.
General Motors' restructuring reflects a growing consensus within traditional heavy industries undergoing intelligent transformation: relying solely on software is no longer enough to ensure future competitiveness. By fundamentally reshaping its workforce and embedding AI capabilities directly into autonomous driving systems, smart cockpits, and manufacturing processes, the company is executing a deep shift from digitalization to true intelligence. This transition represents not just an upgrade in technical skills but a fundamental reimagining of how a modern enterprise should be organized for the future.
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On May 11,
This layoff represents more than a headcount reduction; it is a targeted "skills realignment" to drive technological advancement. General Motors stated it is now prioritizing the hiring of specialists in AI-native development, data engineering, cloud engineering, agent development, and model engineering. Moving beyond the previous strategy of treating AI as a supplementary tool, the company's current objective is to achieve complete in-house development of AI systems. This encompasses designing foundational architectures, training models, and building integrated workflows.
In fact, significant turbulence has marked General Motors' software organization since Sterling Anderson, co-founder of Aurora, assumed the role of Chief Product Officer in May 2025. The company cut roughly 1,000 software-related positions in August 2024, followed by the collective departure of three senior executives, including former Chief AI Officer Barak Turovsky, in November 2025. To swiftly address this leadership gap, General Motors recruited Behrad Toghi, formerly head of AI at Apple, and Rashed Haq, the previous AI lead at Cruise.
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