Alphabet robotics division Intrinsic lays off 20% of total workforce

Alphabet, Google's parent company, has joined tech giants laying off employees amid global macroeconomic conditions, and the company's "Other Bets" division is the first to be impacted, the media reported.

Alphabet's robot software firm Intrinsic will be laying off 40 employees or 20 per cent of its total workforce, reports TechCrunch.

"Intrinsic's leadership has made the difficult decision to let go a number of our team members," a company spokesperson was quoted as saying.

"It will ensure Intrinsic can continue to allocate resources to our highest priority initiatives, such as building our software and AI platform, integrating the recent strategic acquisitions of Vicarious and OSRC (commercial arm Open Robotics), and working with key industry partners," the spokesperson added.

The job cuts at Intrinsic comes after Verily, the health-focused company under Alphabet, announced on Wednesday that it will lay off 15 per cent of its workforce in a restructuring move.

We've collaborated with distinguished healthcare and industry leaders including the Mayo Clinic, Swiss Re, Dexcom, L'Oreal, Otsuka, Highmark Health, iRhythm, Resmed and Sosei-Heptares, among many others.

"We have eliminated approximately 15 per cent of Verily roles due to discontinued programmes. Our most immediate priority is ensuring that these Veeps are given the support they need to ease their transitions," said CEO Stephen Gillett.

Verily will move from multiple lines of business to one centralised product organisation with increasingly connected healthcare solutions, he added.

Google is one big tech company that has avoided letting employees go to date. However, the search giant is expected to take harsh steps to reduce its headcount in early 2023.

Approximately 6 per cent of Google employees could be sacked over "not having enough impact," according to a report by The Information.

Google layoffs in 2023 could see as many as 11,000 employees lose their jobs.

--IANS

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