"I Was Just Cut Off": Google Lays Off Over 200 AI Contractors, Says Report
Tech giant Google has reportedly laid off more than 200 contractors working on its artificial intelligence projects, including Gemini and AI Overviews.
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Google reportedly terminates contracts for over 200 AI project contractors without warning.
New Delhi:
In a concerning development, Google has reportedly terminated the contracts of more than 200 contractors who were working on its artificial intelligence initiatives, including Gemini and AI Overviews.
This sudden workforce reduction has sparked worries about employment stability, inadequate compensation, and potential retaliation against union organizing activities.
'WIRED' reports that these terminations occurred in at least two separate waves during the previous month, with minimal or no advance notification. Multiple contractors reported being abruptly disconnected from their work systems.
"I was just cut off," revealed Andrew Lauzon, a contractor who reportedly received notification via email on August 15 that his contract had been terminated.
Lauzon, who began working at Hitachi-owned GlobalLogic in March 2024, had been involved in training Google's Gemini chatbot and other artificial intelligence tools.
"I asked for a reason, and they said ramp-down on the project -- whatever that means. How are we supposed to feel secure in this employment when we know we could go at any moment?" he further expressed.
Many of these contractors, reportedly holding advanced qualifications including master's degrees and PhDs, belonged to a specialized group known as "super raters."
Their responsibilities included enhancing AI-generated responses to make them more natural-sounding and factually accurate.
Workers informed 'WIRED' that their contributions were essential in developing Google's AI offerings, including the AI Overviews feature that provides summaries of search results.
"We as raters play an incredibly vital role," explained Alex, a generalist rater employed by GlobalLogic.
"The engineers are not going to have the time to fine-tune and get the feedback they need for the bot. We're like the lifeguards on the beach -- we're there to make sure nothing bad happens," Alex elaborated.
Google has reportedly deflected direct responsibility for these job cuts, emphasizing that the affected individuals were employed by GlobalLogic or its subcontractors.
"These individuals are employees of GlobalLogic or their subcontractors, not Alphabet," stated Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini.
"As the employers, GlobalLogic and their subcontractors are responsible for the employment and working conditions of their employees," Mencini added.
These reported layoffs occur as Google continues significant investments in artificial intelligence to remain competitive against rivals such as OpenAI and Microsoft.