Apple has made the decision to discontinue its long-standing project to develop an autonomous electric car, known internally as “Project Titan.” The company held a brief meeting with the team on Tuesday morning to announce the cancellation of the project, resulting in the likely layoff of hundreds of employees.
Key Takeaway
Apple has decided to halt its autonomous electric car project, resulting in the likely layoff of hundreds of employees. The remaining workers will be shifted to Apple’s generative AI projects, while others will have 90 days to find reassignment within the company.
Shift to Generative AI Projects
According to reports, some of the remaining employees from the project will be reassigned to Apple’s generative AI projects. However, others will have a 90-day period to seek reassignment to other roles within the company, failing which they will face termination.
Project History and Pivots
Apple initiated “Project Titan” in 2014, with approximately 5,000 employees dedicated to the endeavor at one point. The project witnessed multiple pivots over the years, oscillating between the development of an all-electric Tesla competitor and a fully-autonomous vehicle similar to Waymo’s creation.
Leadership Announcement
The news of the project’s cancellation was delivered by Apple’s chief operating officer Jeff Williams and the vice president in charge of Titan, Kevin Lynch. The announcement, which lasted about 12 minutes and did not allow for questions, was described as abrupt by an employee.
