UNIONS slammed BT yesterday after it announced plans to slash up to 55,000 jobs by the end of the decade and replace many workers with artificial intelligence (AI).

The telecoms giant claimed it needs to cut costs, with up to a fifth of the staff facing the axe coming from customer services as “generative AI” comes online.

“Whenever you get new technologies you can get big changes,” chief executive Philip Jansen suggested. 

He said that widely criticised digital tools such as ChatGPT, which can write essays, scripts and solve computer coding in a human-like way, “gives us confidence we can go even further.”

But the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents many BT staff, said the news comes as “no surprise.”

A spokesperson added: “The introduction of new technologies across the company along with the completion of the fibre infrastructure build [for high-speed broadband] was always going to result in less labour costs for the company in coming years.

“However, we have made it categorically clear to BT that we want to retain as many direct labour jobs as possible and that any reduction should come from subcontractors in the first instance and natural attrition.”

The union also demanded a place at the table “discussing and shaping the new skills required of the workforce as they move to a more digital network to ensure our members have a stable, secure career within BT well into the future.”

Bosses, who were forced to concede a much-improved pay deal last year after CWU strikes, have already agreed to “ongoing discussions” with the union, it confirmed. 

John Ferrett, head of professionals’ union Prospect, stressed he was “deeply concerned by the scale of these cuts.

“Announcing such a huge reduction in this way will be very unsettling for workers who did so much to keep the country connected during the [Covid-19] pandemic,” he said.

"As a union we want to see the details behind this announcement in order to understand how it will impact upon members and have demanded an urgent meeting with the chief executive.”

Mr Ferrett noted his union’s partnership agreement with the firm had helped to save many workers from compulsory redundancy in the past.

“We will be ensuring that the agreement is fully adhered to during any consultations with BT over job reductions,” the union leader added.