BT to cut 55,000 jobs with up to a fifth replaced by AI

Telecoms giant BT is to shed up to 55,000 jobs by the end of the decade, mostly in the UK, as it cuts costs.

Up to a fifth of those cuts will come in customer services as staff are replaced by technologies including artificial intelligence.

The headcount reduction from the current workforce of 130,000 includes staff and contractors.

"Whenever you get new technologies you can get big changes," said chief executive Philip Jansen.