"Google's Mass Layoffs Hit Hardware and Voice Assistant Teams"

Google is laying off hundreds of employees from its digital assistant, hardware, and engineering teams as part of its ongoing cost-cutting efforts. The affected workers include those working on the voice-based Google Assistant and in the augmented reality hardware team. The company's core search business faces competition from rival artificial-intelligence offerings, prompting executives to identify areas for cuts and prioritize investments. The Alphabet Workers Union criticized the job cuts, while affected staff will have the opportunity to apply for open positions within Google.