Google workers seek protection from layoffs as AI fears mount

About 4,500 Google employees have signed a petition urging the search engine giant to introduce stronger protections against layoffs, as the company continues to invest heavily in artificial intelligence while reducing elements of its workforce.

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According to The Guardian, the petition was delivered to chief executive officer Sundar Pichai’s office at Google’s HQ in California on Thursday by members of the Alphabet Workers Union, which is leading the protest.

The workers are seeking: guaranteed severance packages for affected employees; voluntary buyout options before mandatory layoffs across all product areas; the option to receive severance as extended paid leave; and an end to performance ratings employees say rely on quotas rather than merit.

President of the Alphabet Workers Union Parul Koul, herself a software engineer at Google, pointed out the company continues to perform strongly financially despite workforce reductions.

She criticised the company for making job cuts while its valuation had quadrupled to its current $4 trillion over the past six years.

Meanwhile, Google is continuing to expand its AI strategy with cloud team workers and managers of smaller teams being laid off recently, according to media sources including Business Insider.

Google has not conceded that AI directly caused recent layoffs and chief financial officer Anat Ashkenazi has said the company planned to continue hiring while increasing spending to support its AI ambitions. However, Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, previously told Wired that companies that sought to replace software developers with AI were showing “a lack of imagination”.

Across the technology sector companies are accelerating AI investments and reshaping their workforces. Meta is facing a lawsuit from dozens of employees who allege AI tools were used to identify workers for layoffs after they requested protected leave or disability accommodations. Meta has denied the allegations.

Oracle, meanwhile, has disclosed in its latest annual report that wider AI adoption could continue to reduce its workforce after cutting around 21,000 jobs over the past year, and Block reduced its workforce by about 4,000 employees earlier this year, with CEO Jack Dorsey citing efficiency gains from AI.

Microsoft recently announced plans to eliminate around 4,800 jobs, representing about 2.1% of its workforce, as it increases investment in AI.

The Google petition builds on previous organising efforts by the Alphabet Workers Union, which The Guardian said has secured voluntary exit packages covering more than 70,000 employees.