Tech giant Google has reportedly cut more than 200 contractors from its artificial intelligence projects, including Gemini and AI Overviews, in a move that raises new concerns about job security and working conditions within the company’s extended workforce.
According to a report by WIRED, the layoffs took place in at least two rounds last month, with little or no prior warning to those affected.
Several contractors say they are abruptly locked out of their systems without explanation.
Andrew Lauzon, a contractor working through Hitachi-owned GlobalLogic since March 2024, recounts receiving an email on August 15 stating his contract had ended without notice. He says the explanation given, ‘ramp-down on the project’, leaves workers feeling insecure about their roles.
Many of the laid-off contractors hold advanced degrees, such as master’s and PhDs and belong to a specialised group known internally as ‘super raters’.
They refine AI-generated responses, improve the natural flow of chatbot conversations and contribute to the accuracy of Google’s AI tools.
Workers stress their role is vital to features like AI Overviews, which summarise search results. One rater likens the job to ‘lifeguards on the beach’, ensuring nothing goes wrong with AI products.
Google denies direct involvement in the job cuts, emphasising that the affected workers are employees of GlobalLogic or its subcontractors rather than Alphabet itself.
Spokesperson Courtenay Mencini says GlobalLogic and its partners are responsible for the employment and working conditions of their staff.
The reported cuts come at a time when Google is investing aggressively in AI to compete with rivals such as OpenAI and Microsoft.
The contrast between expansion in AI research and the dismissal of contractors highlights the growing tension between innovation and job stability in the tech industry.
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