Alphabet’s tech giant, Google, is embarking on a strategic overhaul within its expansive ad sales division, impacting a substantial workforce of approximately 30,000 employees.
This transformative move, reported by The Information and attributed to an informed source, signals a significant shift in the company’s approach to its advertising endeavors.
During a department-wide meeting held last week, Sean Downey, the person entrusted with overseeing ad sales for major accounts in the Americas, communicated this impending reorganization. While details remain somewhat cryptic, Downey did not explicitly mention whether the restructuring would entail staff layoffs. This development sets the stage for a transformation in Google’s ad sales landscape, one that will undoubtedly be closely watched by industry insiders and stakeholders.
In a move that sent ripples through its global workforce, Alphabet announced its intention to reduce its employee count by a substantial 12,000 individuals, accounting for approximately 6% of its total workforce. This decision, unveiled in January 2023, signaled a significant shift in the tech giant’s organizational structure.
Adding to the employment shifts, Google made headlines in early June last year by terminating employees associated with the popular mapping app Waze. This action followed the integration of the app’s advertising system with Google Ads technology, prompting workforce adjustments within the company.
Google is actively navigating a transformative path to evolve into a generative AI company. The advent of AI thanks to OpenAI’s ChatGPT triggered “code red” within the company, with employees tirelessly brainstorming and developing AI-driven features and concepts.
However, as the dust settled on these efforts, the company turned the focus inward, seeking to “optimize” itself through the deployment of new AI solutions. Now the search engine giant is reportedly looking to replace much of its workforce with AI tools.
The report from The Information, citing insider sources familiar with the matter, claims that AI will be taking jobs away from thousands of Google employees. The company is said to have plans to: “streamline its workforce, including through potential layoffs to reassign employees in its large-account sales division who oversee partnerships with major advertisers.”
According to the report, several notable positions at Google are being taken over by productivity-focused automated tools powered by Google’s AI. Google’s advertising division arranged a meeting last month. During this meeting, the company unveiled its blueprint for the forthcoming phase of restructuring, setting the stage for what promises to be a pivotal transformation in the company’s operations.
While the details of this meeting remain obscure, Google’s intentions with AI productivity are clear and it goes to show that Google will most likely not be the only tech giant replacing its workforce with AI since its rivals possess equally formidable tools.
Via: Medium
