Google Layoffs Spree Continues; Planning To Cut Hundreds Of Staff From This Division

The exact number of personnel that are being laid off is not disclosed yet. Google Assistant debuted in 2016 to compete with Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri.

Image Courtesy: Reuters

New Delhi: Google’s hardware division has just taken a significant hit. Alphabet Inc.’s Google is laying off hundreds of people working on its voice-activated Google Assistant software, hardware, and engineering teams. However, the Sundar Pichai-led company hasn’t specified the exact number of employees who are being laid off from the AR division.

According to the company, the restructuring would help improve Google Assistant as it explores integrating newer artificial intelligence technology into its products. Notably, Google Assistant debuted in 2016 to compete with Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri. 

On the other hand, Fitbit co-founders James Park, Eric Friedman, and other Fitbit leaders are also leaving the company, as per a 9to5Google report. The Fitbit company was acquired by Google in January 2021.

Adding further, the report also states that a few hundred roles are being eliminated in DSPA, with the majority of impacts on the 1P AR Hardware team. While we are making changes to our 1P AR hardware team, Google continues to be deeply committed to other AR initiatives, such as AR experiences in our products, and product partnerships.

Shahram Izadi, vice president of AR at Google, asserted that Google has confirmed it is working with Samsung on an AR headset, which will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

Adding further, he mentioned that “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies and Samsung on the future of immersive and spatial XR".