Never mind any skills gap, Vendors are firing staff who they may never see again to make a short-term cut in costs.
Google handed six per cent of its global workforce pink slips apparently to refocus on its priorities, including AI.
CEO Sundar Pichai said: “We’ve decided to reduce our workforce by approximately 12,000 roles. We’ve already sent a separate email to employees in the US who are affected. In other countries, this process will take longer due to local laws and practices.”
Pichai said the company will be reviewing its current operations in order to make the most of its early investments in AI.
“To fully capture it, we’ll need to make tough choices. So, we’ve undertaken a rigorous review across product areas and functions to ensure that our people and roles are aligned with our highest priorities as a company.”
Alphabet has been affected by the weak global economy and the strong dollar. It is also reported to have been shaken by the sudden emergence of the advanced AI chatbot ChatGTP and image generator DALL-E2 as a potential threat to its own AI ventures, which include DeepMind.
Microsoft announced 11,000 job cuts in its HoloLens, advertising and marketing departments.
Other companies announcing layoffs in recent weeks include Amazon, Meta, Citrix, Tibco, Informatica, Salesforce, Cisco, HP, Intel, Elastic, 8×8 and Aqua Security.
