Google has announced large-scale layoffs, affecting hundreds of employees across various teams. The company is aiming to lower costs and shift its focus towards artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives. The affected employees include those working on the Google Assistant, the voice-based digital assistant, as well as the augmented reality hardware team and the central engineering organization.
The decision comes as Google faces increasing competition in the AI space from rivals Microsoft and OpenAI. In response, Google executives have pledged to assess their operations to identify areas where costs can be cut. This move will allow the company to prioritize investments in key areas, including AI.
In addition to the layoffs, co-founders of Fitbit, James Park and Eric Friedman, are leaving Google as part of the company’s reorganization efforts. Since announcing job cuts in January 2023, Google has made a series of smaller reductions. The recent round of layoffs has been communicated by lower-level leaders, and employees have shared information about the cuts through internal communication channels.
Although it is difficult to determine the exact number of jobs affected, further cuts are expected throughout January. Some employees have expressed concerns about the layoffs, viewing them as detrimental to morale and trust within the company. These latest layoffs follow similar actions taken by tech giant Amazon.com Inc., which recently laid off hundreds of staff in its Prime Video and studios business, raising concerns about job cuts in the tech industry.
To mitigate the impact on affected employees, Google has stated that they will have the opportunity to apply for open positions within the company. This provides some hope for the affected workers as they navigate through this challenging time.
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