British American Tobacco is eliminating roughly 5,500 positions and outsourcing another 3,500 roles to strategic partners as part of an AI-driven overhaul that touches approximately 9,000 jobs worldwide. The restructuring, announced on June 29, excludes the company’s largest market, the United States, and aims to squeeze £600 million ($793 million) in annualized savings out of the business by 2028.
What BAT is actually doing
The cuts fall under BAT’s “Fit2Win” transformation programme, which leans heavily on AI and data analytics to simplify operations and automate processes that were previously handled by humans.
Accenture is among the strategic partners absorbing the 3,500 outsourced roles.
The company is targeting £500 million in cost savings by 2027, with the full £600 million figure expected by 2028.
