Voice AI SoundHound has carried out large-scale layoffs, involving nearly half of its employees

Thanks to CTOnews.com netizen OC_Formula for the clue delivery! CTOnews.com, January 16 (Xinhua)-- voice artificial intelligence company SoundHound laid off 200 people, or about half of its workforce, in a massive layoff last week, Gizmodo reported.

Three recently laid-off employees told Gizmodo that the severance pay offered by SoundHound was "pitifully" low, with only two weeks of severance pay, excluding health care. The employees also said that the payment of severance payments also depends on whether SoundHound can raise more money, and that it is not clear what will happen if the company does not get additional funds.

CTOnews.com learned that SoundHound was founded in 2005 by Stanford graduate Keyvan Mohajer, who is still CEO of the company, and that Santa Clara is now a major provider of AI voice software to Pandora, Snap, Mercedes-Benz and Netflix.

In an email to employees about the layoffs, Mohajer blamed "changing economic conditions, including high interest rates, rising inflation and fears of recession".

SoundHound grew rapidly in 2021 and became a public company last year, and the layoffs mark a dramatic change in the situation of the voice artificial intelligence company. In November 2022, SoundHound laid off 10 per cent of its staff and cut salaries for existing staff. That layoff, combined with this one, means that SoundHound has lost more than 50 per cent of its 450 employees in October 2022 in the past three months.