Google lays off hundreds in hardware, assistant, engineering

An Android character is displayed at Google headquarters on Dec 19, 2023 in Mountain View, California. The reductions come as Google’s core Internet search business feels the heat from the AI offerings of rivals Microsoft Corp and ChatGPT-creator OpenAI. — AFP

Alphabet Inc’s Google is laying off hundreds of people working on its digital assistant, hardware and engineering teams as part of a continued effort to lower costs and focus on artificial intelligence.

The affected employees included those working on the voice-based Google Assistant and the augmented reality hardware team. The central engineering organisation was also hit by cuts, the company said.