Google layoffs: Not only humans but even robots are being fired

Google layoffs have affected not only humans but also robots. The search giant removed 12,000 employees or 6 per cent of their employees but this doesn't take the robots into account. Google's own subsidiary, aptly named 'Everyday Robots' was responsible for developing robots for consumers. As a side hustle, these robots even cleaned and maintained Google offices. 

According to a report by Wired Google had trained over a hundred robots that had a single arm and wheels to move around. These robots cleaned cafeteria tables, separated trash and recycling, and even opened doors for employees and other visitors.

Similar to many other Google ventures, even Everyday Robots was not a profit-making business for the search giant.

Google lost about $6.1 billion last year. Alphabet's overall profit fell 21 percent to $60 billion. On January 20, Alphabet announced it would lay off about 12,000 workers, 6 percent of its workforce, and Everyday Robots was one of the projects disbanded.

Everyday Robots was one of the eight robotics acquisitions by Google a decade ago. Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin were heavily invested in the vision of robotics becoming a consumer product.

Last year, Everyday Robots even tried to progress with Google AI researchers. Engineers integrated a large language model similar to ChatGPT into the robotics system. This not only gave it the ability to communicate better but also provided a personality to the robot. 

Tech Layoffs

The tech industry is witnessing a seismic shift in the workforce, the biggest in the past decade. Google was not the only one to have laid off employees. Other brands such as Meta, Amazon and Twitter have also removed significant numbers of employees from their workforce. Earlier this year, Amazon announced that it will be removing 18,000 employees. Meta has also removed 11,000 employees.

Also read: Elon Musk and former Google employee may join forces to take on OpenAI's ChatGPT