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Business Insider Cuts 21% of Staff to Accelerate AI Strategy

CEO Barbara Peng says the overhaul will streamline operations by ending underperforming commerce segments to boost AI-driven coverage

Business Insider
FILE: Business Insider laid off about one fifth of its workforce Thursday, a sweeping round of cuts that affected every department and drew swift criticism.
Barbara Peng at the 2025 Gold Gala held at the Music Center on May 10, 2025, in Los Angeles.

Overview

  • Business Insider announced layoffs of about 21% of its workforce in a memo from CEO Barbara Peng, marking the third round of cuts since early 2024.
  • The restructuring will impact every department and includes ending most of its commerce business and trimming editorial beats that rely on high traffic.
  • The company plans to go “all-in” on AI, with initiatives such as a Newsroom AI Lead and a new events coverage series called BI Live to drive future growth.
  • Insider Union and The NewsGuild of New York condemned the move as a “brazen pivot away from journalism toward greed,” warning against replacing human journalists with AI tools.
  • Axel Springer confirmed that its other U.S. outlets, including Politico and Morning Brew, will not face similar staff reductions.