Google has made the strategic decision to streamline its workforce, revealing layoffs across various departments, including its Voice Assistant, hardware, and engineering teams this Wednesday. This move is part of an overarching effort to optimize operations and prioritize key areas of focus for the tech giant.
According to information from Reuters, this recent round of job cuts follows previous workforce reductions and the departure of Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman. The impact is widespread, affecting numerous employees in different segments of the company.
Within the Google Assistant unit, which is responsible for the development of voice-activated technology used in products such as Google Home and smartphones, a substantial number of employees are facing job cuts. Similarly, the hardware team, overseeing Pixel phones, Nest smart home devices, and Fitbit wearables, is witnessing the elimination of several hundred roles, primarily concentrated in the augmented reality (AR) division. The central engineering team is also experiencing job cuts, with the exact number of affected positions remaining undisclosed.
The acquisition of Fitbit by Google in 2021 for $2.1 billion led to ongoing development efforts, including the creation of the Pixel Watch. This raised concerns about potential redundancies within the wearables market.
In a statement, Google acknowledged the ongoing organizational changes initiated in the latter half of 2023, emphasizing the goal of enhancing efficiency and aligning resources with key product priorities. A spokesperson for the company explained that some teams are making organizational changes, including role eliminations on a global scale.
The specific number of affected employees is undisclosed, but the impact across Assistant, hardware, and engineering highlights the magnitude of the restructuring effort. This downsizing occurs at a critical juncture for major tech companies like Google and Microsoft, both deeply invested in generative artificial intelligence (AI), particularly following the success of OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Last year, Google announced plans to integrate generative AI capabilities into its Assistant, enabling it to autonomously handle tasks such as trip planning and email management. This workforce reduction is a continuation of Google’s ongoing adjustments, with Alphabet revealing plans in January 2023 to lay off 12,000 employees, constituting 6% of its global workforce. As of September 2023, Google employed 182,381 individuals worldwide.
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