Amazon is set to lay off “several hundred” employees in its Alexa division, including those in the artificial general intelligence team. Daniel Rausch, Amazon’s vice president of Alexa and Fire TV, announced the layoffs in a letter to employees, explaining that the company is redirecting its resources to focus on generative AI.
The move follows recent workforce reductions in Amazon’s music and gaming divisions, as well as job cuts in certain human resources roles. Rausch acknowledged the impact of the decision on affected employees and expressed gratitude for their hard work, emphasizing the company’s commitment to supporting them during the transition.
The layoffs are part of Amazon’s strategic shift to align its efforts with business priorities and customer needs, emphasizing the importance of generative AI in advancing the capabilities of Alexa.
Affected employees will receive separation packages, transitional health insurance benefits, external job placement support, and paid time for job searches. The decision reflects Amazon’s ongoing commitment to innovation and evolution in the field of voice-forward, personal AI, and Rausch expressed optimism about the future of Alexa despite the challenges posed by the organizational changes.
