GOOGLE is laying off hundreds of employees in its advertising sales team, the Alphabet-owned company said on Tuesday (Jan 16), marking the latest cuts at the search giant.

The move adds to signs that job cuts will continue this year, as companies look to adopt artificial intelligence software and automation to lighten workloads.

Last week, Google said it would lay off several employees in its Voice Assistant units, hardware teams responsible for Pixel, Nest and Fitbit, as well as in its augmented reality team.

Google’s customer solutions unit, which serves medium-level advertiser clients, will be the core team for growth moving forward, the company said.

Business Insider first reported the news earlier in the day.

Amazon.com also said last week that it would lay off several hundred employees in its streaming and studio operations and 500 workers at its video streaming platform, Twitch.

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Last month, Google – once touted as a leader in spurring AI research – unveiled its long-awaited AI model Gemini, as the company attempts to catch up to Microsoft in the AI race.

In January 2023, Alphabet announced plans to cut 12,000 jobs, or 6 per cent of its global workforce. REUTERS