Google Fires Hundreds of Workers in Voice Assistant and Hardware Teams
Luisa Crawford Jan 11, 2024 14:03
Google recently laid off hundreds of employees from its Voice Assistant and hardware teams. The layoffs are part of the company's cost-cutting measures and strategic restructuring amidst the rising competition from companies like Microsoft and OpenAI.
Hundreds of people across different divisions have been let off as a result of Google's massive staff reduction. These employees include members of the team responsible for voice-activated Google Assistant as well as members of the Devices and Services Product Area (DSPA) team, which is responsible for managing hardware products such as Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit. This move is a component of Google's larger effort to simplify operations and concentrate on its most important product objectives, and it comes as part of that strategy.
This strategy move toward more efficient operations is reflected in the rearrangement of teams at Google, which is particularly significant in light of the growing use of technologies that utilize generative artificial intelligence. Google made the announcement that it planned to include generative artificial intelligence capabilities into its virtual assistant in the previous year. The company's goal was to improve features such as travel planning and email management.
The Alphabet Workers Union, on the other hand, has voiced their disapproval of this restructure, stating that the layoffs are needles" and that they are not consistent with the profitability of the corporation. It was conveyed that the union was concerned about the job security of its members and that it was dedicated to fighting for the rights of its members.
Tonight, Google began another round of needless layoffs. Our members and teammates work hard every day to build great products for our users, and the company cannot continue to fire our coworkers while making billions every quarter. We won’t stop fighting until our jobs are safe!
Google has reduced the number of its Augmented Reality (AR) hardware team in addition to the teams that work on the Voice Assistant and hardware. For the purpose of future hardware development, the business intends to work together with other Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), so combining its hardware engineering efforts into a single core team.
It is important to note that James Park and Eric Friedman, who were both co-founders of Fitbit, are leaving the firm as part of this restructure. One of the most important parts of Google's hardware portfolio is the Pixel Watch line, which was introduced thanks in large part to Park's contributions.
A trend of labor cutbacks at Google, which includes cuts in several teams such as Waze, recruitment, and news divisions, has taken place, and these layoffs are the latest in that pattern. The announcement of a company-wide layoff of around 12,000 positions, which accounted for approximately 6% of Google's workers worldwide, was made by Google in January of 2023.
The choice made by Google is reflective of a larger trend in the technology sector, which is that businesses are reevaluating their staff in response to the challenges coming from the economy and the changing expectations of the market. This action is being seen as a strategic realignment with the goal of prioritizing investments and making the most of substantial prospects in the future.
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