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Google culls Assistant, hardware, engineering teams

Jan 12, 2024 - internetretailing.com.au
Google is planning to lay off hundreds of employees across multiple teams, including the Voice Assistant unit, hardware team responsible for Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit, and the central engineering team. The majority of the augmented reality team will also be let go. This follows the departure of Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman. The company has not specified the exact number of roles affected.

This restructuring comes as Google and other tech companies are focusing on the growing adoption of generative artificial intelligence technology. Google plans to add generative AI capabilities to its virtual assistant, which would enable it to assist users with tasks such as trip planning or email management. This news follows Alphabet's announcement in January 2023 to cut 12,000 jobs, equivalent to 6% of its global workforce.

Key takeaways:

  • Google is laying off hundreds of employees across multiple teams, including the Voice Assistant unit, hardware team, and augmented reality team.
  • Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman are also leaving the company.
  • The company is making these changes to become more efficient and align resources to their biggest product priorities.
  • Last year, Google announced plans to add generative AI capabilities to its virtual assistant, betting on the rising adoption of AI technology.
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