Google Announces Workforce Reduction for Iconic Products

Google is kicking off the year with widespread layoffs affecting various divisions, including the Google Assistant team. This has resulted in the loss of hundreds of employees who are responsible for some of the company's most well-known products, such as Google Assistant, the voice-activated software that assists users with tasks like checking the weather, setting timers, and searching for information quickly.

According to Google, the decision to lay off employees from the Google Assistant team is partially influenced by a shift in focus towards artificial intelligence. The company aims to integrate its latest AI models more deeply into its products. These changes highlight how artificial intelligence is already having an impact on job displacement within the tech industry, despite being the very industry that created it.

The hardware division responsible for creating Google's Nest, Pixel, and Fitbit devices is also experiencing layoffs, particularly impacting the augmented reality team, according to a CNN report confirmed by the company on Thursday. Additionally, Google's core engineering team is being affected by these global layoffs, the company stated.

Amazon recently announced layoffs in its film and television arm and at Twitch, the company's live-streaming platform, following a series of post-pandemic layoffs across the tech industry and a shift back to in-office work.

Google is actively seeking alternative positions for employees impacted by the restructuring, according to the company.

The layoffs were earlier reported by Semafor and 9to5 Google, which also reported that Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman are departing Google as part of this weeks changes.