Google Assistant voice assistant team adjusted, more than 20 data scientists were laid off

CTOnews.com, Nov. 2, Businessinsider reported that Google has laid off some employees who work as voice assistants, according to insiders and an employee document documenting layoffs within the company.

On Monday, some employees working on Assistant projects were told that their positions had been cancelled. According to the employee document, as many as 20 employees were laid off, all of whom were data scientists. The document also points out that some employees who were laid off just transferred from the Bard team to the Assistant team last Friday.

The document is compiled by employees and summarizes information posted internally and externally about layoffs. "one of the laid-off employees is on maternity leave and the other has cancer," the document said.

Employees who have been laid off have 60 days to find new positions within the company, otherwise they will have to leave.

"in order to optimize our team structure and bring it more in line with our highest priorities, we have restructured the team to better support our strategic business objectives," a Google spokesman said in a statement. "

CTOnews.com noted that Google had previously announced plans for major changes to the Assistant project, and that some of the features based on generative AI were already being launched. In August, the company said it would lay off a "small number" of staff after a refocus.

Google laid off 12000 employees earlier this year and has been making smaller strategic layoffs across the company, such as Google News and its health unit Verily.