WiseTech Cuts 2,000 Jobs in AI-Led Restructuring | News

WiseTech Global will eliminate about 2,000 jobs, nearly 30% of its workforce, as part of an AI-driven restructuring program. 

Australian software maker WiseTech Global has announced plans to cut approximately 2,000 positions — roughly 29% of its global workforce of about 7,000 — in a two-year restructuring tied to the integration of artificial intelligence into its operations.

The company said the reductions will occur across the remainder of the current financial year and into the next, with product development and customer-facing teams among the hardest hit. CEO Zubin Appoo described the shift as a “deliberate AI transformation,” asserting that “the era of manually writing code as a core act of engineering is over.”

WiseTech’s statement to the Australian Securities Exchange outlined that the job cuts will affect workforces in its operations spanning roughly 40 countries, with some teams being reduced by up to half. The company’s recently acquired U.S. cloud-computing arm, E2open, is among the divisions expected to see significant reductions.

The planned workforce reduction follows WiseTech’s publication of its half-year financial results, which showed an underlying net profit increase of 2% to $114.5 million and a surge in revenue, even as statutory net profit declined by about 36% due in part to costs related to the integration of E2open. Shares in WiseTech rallied more than 11% on the day of the announcement.

Appoo’s remarks accompanying the announcement framed the layoffs as part of a broader efficiency effort enabled by advances in artificial intelligence, which the company says can perform tasks previously done by larger teams. He said that AI is expected to deliver a leaner cost structure and improved scalability.

In response to the announcement, the union Professionals Australia, which represents technology and engineering workers, has sought urgent talks with WiseTech. The union said it expects consultations on how AI systems will be deployed, the likely impact on jobs, and possible measures to reduce redundancies.

The scale of the layoffs at WiseTech is among the most significant linked to artificial intelligence in Australia’s technology sector to date.

The cuts will be implemented across multiple regions as the company continues to embed AI in both customer software and internal processes, reflecting a strategic shift in how WiseTech approaches product development and service delivery.