(CNN) — Google CEO Sundar Pichai warned his employees to prepare for more layoffs in the coming months, as the tech giant refocuses its efforts towards “artificial intelligence and beyond.”
In a memo sent to the entire company and obtained by CNN, Pichai said this Wednesday that the personnel cuts – which have affected hundreds of Google employees in the last week alone – will not be of the same magnitude as the layoffs of last year, which will reduce Google’s workforce. 12,000 employees were reduced.
Some parts of Google’s business will not be affected by this year’s changes, he said. Still, Pichai wrote, “Some teams will continue to make specific resource allocation decisions throughout the year as necessary, and some functions may be impacted.”
“We have ambitious goals and we will invest in our big priorities this year,” Pichai said. “The reality is that, to create the capacity for this investment, we have to make difficult decisions… (and) simplify the execution and pace in some areas.”
“I know it’s very difficult to see colleagues and teams impacted,” Pichai added, adding that the company is committed to supporting affected employees and helping them find work at Google or elsewhere outside the company.
The memo was released at the same time as The New York Times reported this Wednesday that Google subsidiary YouTube would lay off 100 employees. CNN has not independently confirmed the YouTube layoffs.
A Google spokesperson confirmed to CNN the existence of Pichai’s memo, as well as the YouTube layoffs, which affect about 100 positions in the company’s coalition organization that is responsible for reaching out to YouTube content creators.
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