Telegraph to cut jobs in plans to become ‘AI-powered media business’

The Telegraph will make some staff redundant under new plans to transform the paper into a “global, AI-powered” media and intelligence business.

It comes after the newspaper was bought by German media giant Axel Springer earlier this summer for £575 million ($769 million).

According to The Guardian, up to 100 jobs are being cut, with the culture and sports departments hit particularly hard.

In an email shared on Friday morning, staff were told that “difficult choices” were made “for the future of the business.”

Carolin Hulshoff Pol, chief executive of Telegraph Media Group (TMG), said: “During the sale process, The Telegraph had limited ability to invest, adapt and move at the pace the market demanded.

“Our ambition is to transform The Telegraph from a leading British newspaper into a global, AI-powered premium media and intelligence business – built on trusted journalism, direct relationships with our audiences and expertise that sets us apart.

“To deliver on this ambition, we need to change how we are organised, how decisions are made, where we focus our resources and create efficiencies. We need clearer accountability, faster decision-making and a simpler, more effective organisation.

“Today marks the start of a formal consultation process. These are difficult choices that we believe are necessary for the future of the business.”

The Telegraph came under new ownership in June after a turbulent three years attempting to secure a long-term future for the brand.

Axel Springer previously said the completion of the deal will allow it to accelerate the “digital transformation” of the Telegraph, use AI for growth and to expand further into the US market.