Google recently carried out a reduction of jobs within its department responsible for the development of the AI-driven virtual assistant, Google Assistant. The layoffs affected about 20 staff members and are seen as part of the ongoing strategic cuts made within the company since the beginning of the year.
Business Insider, referring to an internal document and a source with insight into the matter, reported that the impacted employees were primarily data scientists. Allegedly, a number of these affected individuals had been relocated from the Bard team to the Assistant team the previous week and shortly afterward were summoned to a meeting about their positions.
The document reportedly indicated that one of the affected employees is on maternity leave and another is coping with cancer. Those impacted have been given a 60-day period to secure a new role within the company, or they will need to depart.
A Google spokesperson was quoted acknowledging the restructuring, stating it was aimed at enhancing team structures to better support the company’s strategic business goals.
Earlier, Google had carried out job reductions in the Google News division, affecting around 40 employees. The company affirmed its commitment to supporting a robust news ecosystem and announced that it was offering support, transitional assistance, and severance to those impacted.
In September, Google had laid off several hundred workers from its recruitment division. The company emphasized its continued investment in top engineering and technical talent, though it also indicated a deliberate slowing down in the pace of overall hiring.
Google had previously released 12,000 employees earlier in the year, and smaller strategic cuts have been ongoing across the company since then.
