Google Announces Staff Cuts in Assistant Software and Devices Teams

Alphabet Inc.'s Google has confirmed layoffs impacting its Google Assistant software and Devices and Services division. The decision to downsize forms part of the tech giant's ongoing structural adjustments, which aim to enhance operational efficiency and align resources with strategic product areas.

Impact on Google Assistant Team

The reductions in the workforce were especially significant in the Google Assistant team. This news was initially reported by the media outlet Semafor and is part of a larger trend of job cuts that began in the latter half of 2023, which also affected employees at Waze, Google's navigation unit.

Changes in Devices and Services

A parallel downsizing effort is underway within Google's Devices and Services team. This includes a substantial cutback in the 1P AR hardware division. Notably, these changes were first brought to attention by the tech news site 9to5Google, which also covered the departure of Fitbit's co-founders and other key leaders from the company post its acquisition by Google.

Despite the broad organizational change, Google has not yet released explicit figures detailing the total number of roles being cut. However, these changes reflect a commitment to prioritizing efficiency and product focus within the company's various teams.

It is also unclear how many employees make up the Google Assistant software and Devices and Services teams. As of the third quarter of 2023, Alphabet reported having a global workforce of 182,381 people.

Competition within the tech sector is fierce, particularly in the development of generative AI for products. Google has previously announced plans to incorporate AI capabilities from its Bard chatbot into future iterations of its virtual assistant software, with the objective of providing more nuanced and personalized user support.

layoffs, restructuring, technology