According to Sawyer Merritt, Rivian is laying off over 600 employees, representing about 4% of its workforce, as part of cost reduction measures ahead of launching a lower-priced SUV next year (source: Wall Street Journal via Sawyer Merritt on Twitter). The company previously cut 1.5% of its staff a month ago for similar reasons. These workforce reductions signal a likely acceleration of AI and automation integration within Rivian’s operations to maintain productivity with fewer employees. For the AI industry, this trend highlights growing opportunities for AI-driven process automation, robotics, and intelligent supply chain management solutions tailored for electric vehicle manufacturers seeking operational efficiency and cost control (source: Wall Street Journal).