Google steals Meta’s ‘efficiency’ excuse as it lays off hundreds in AI pivot, loses Fitbit leaders

What it is advisable know9to5Google experiences that Google will lay off just a few hundred AR Hardware engineers.It additionally introduced the departure of Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman, plus “other Fitbit leaders.”Semafor experiences that the Google Assistant group additionally misplaced lots of of staff as the corporate pivots to the Bard generative AI.The New York Times revealed a number of hundred layoffs within the core engineering division. Google has introduced a widespread spherical of layoffs throughout a number of divisions — augmented actuality (AR) {hardware}, Google Assistant, and core engineering — within the wake of a particularly worthwhile yr for the corporate. “A number of our teams made changes to become more efficient and work better, and to align their resources to their biggest product priorities,” a Google rep informed Android Central and different publications. Layoffs have slowed for the reason that large 12,000 employees cuts final January, however the Google rep famous that “some teams are continuing to make these kinds of organizational changes, which include some role eliminations globally.” Google additionally promised to assist impacted workers and encourage them to use for brand spanking new roles at Google, although final yr’s recruiting group layoffs and fewer open positions make this a tough prospect.Some of those firings are explicitly on account of Google’s latest pivot to AI improvement. Google informed Semafor, the location that exposed lots of of Google Assistant division layoffs, that “restructuring would help improve Google Assistant as it explores integrating newer artificial intelligence technology into its products.”Most of Google’s {hardware} layoffs are centered on its AR {hardware} division. 9to5Google reported this information, noting that Google stays “deeply committed to other AR initiatives.” Most notably, Google is growing the software program behind Samsung’s XR headset.The New York Times additionally famous lots of of layoffs in Google’s core engineering division, with no particular clarification for his or her necessity moreover the overall statements above. Tonight, Google started one other spherical of unnecessary layoffs. Our members and teammates work onerous day-after-day to construct nice merchandise for our customers, and the corporate can not proceed to fireplace our coworkers whereas making billions each quarter. We received’t cease combating till our jobs are protected!January 11, 2024See extraThe Alphabet Workers Union posted a pissed off response to the information on X, noting the corporate claims that these firings are obligatory whereas incomes billions in earnings. In its final quarterly earnings report, Google earned $76.69 billion, an 11% YoY enhance.Google’s extra “efficient” restructured groups name again to Meta’s language surrounding its tens of 1000’s of layoffs final yr. CEO Mark Zuckerberg known as it Meta’s Year of Efficiency, and it paid off in big earnings for shareholders, on the expense of its personal workers. Rounding out this explosion of Google layoff information, 9to5Google additionally experiences that the Fitbit leaders who joined Google after the 2021 acquisition are leaving the corporate. Co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman, together with an unspecified variety of different leaders, have left Google. It’s unclear whether or not this Fitbit exodus was a voluntary resolution or pressured departure, and what it means for the model. The report made no point out of any Fitbit engineer layoffs, exterior of the management group. Analysis: Worrying layoffs, but in addition predictable(Image credit score: Google)Wednesday’s Google layoffs pale compared to its 2023 culling of 1000’s of jobs, however they nonetheless inform us an awesome deal about Google’s future as an organization. Last December, The Information reported that Google plans to restructure its 30,000 advert gross sales group, as a result of it’s “relying more on machine-learning techniques to help customers buy even more ads on its search engine, YouTube and other services,” making human supervision pointless to generate big earnings. These impending layoffs, mixed with Semafor’s report about firing Google Assistant staff to deal with Bard, emphasize how Google’s AI pivot might affect the corporate shifting ahead as its engineers develop expertise that can make their coworkers’ jobs expendable. As for the cuts to the AR {hardware} division, we heard of difficulties within the AR division final summer time. Google labored on a number of AR glasses prototypes in tandem, all of which have been reportedly combating for assets. At the identical time, Google had a group growing software program for Samsung’s glasses, and Samsung reportedly demanded that this group not be allowed to talk to different Google engineers, “for fear they might build a competing product based on that information.”In this context, it is smart why Google may kill at the least a few of its costly AR {hardware} merchandise, both to deal with one prototype or to pivot totally to software program. Still, it is disappointing to listen to that Google could by no means recapture that Google Glass magic. James Park asserting the Pixel Watch 2 final yr. (Image credit score: Nick Sutrch / Android Central)The information of Fitbit executives’ departure is especially intriguing, and we are able to solely speculate on whether or not they left voluntarily or have been pressured out. Fitbit’s James Park has been actively concerned with Google’s main product launches for the reason that acquisition, most lately serving to to announce new Fitbit software program on the Pixel Watch 2. Outside of Google {hardware}, nonetheless, the Fitbit model has dipped in gross sales for the reason that acquisition, and Google lately selected to chop the nations the place it sells Fitbits in half to align with the place it sells Pixel {hardware}. At the time, we known as the information a “portent of doom” for the model and famous that Google appeared to don’t have any plans for bettering Fitbit “beyond shoving a lot of Google tech inside.”This information does not affirm that Fitbit will find yourself within the Killed by Google graveyard. Yet within the tech world, initiatives die if they do not have a powerful government to advocate for them inside the firm. With Park and Friedman gone, Fitbit might find yourself swallowed up by the Pixel {hardware} division with no clear mandate or assets. The solely hope is that these departures open the door for a brand new government to steer Fitbit to a resurgence. But which may simply be wishful considering.