Google Cuts half of the team: layoffs at the incubator Area 120

Google’s austerity measures are significantly larger than initially communicated. After the team behind the Pixelbook was recently disbanded, it is now the turn of the internal incubator Area 120. Its number of projects was probably cut in half.

Like the US Economic Service, among others Bloomberg reports, Google is also making significant cuts in Area 120. The Internet company has halved the number of projects the special department works on from 14 to seven in order to reduce costs. At the same time, a reorientation is being carried out, in which the focus is on projects relating to the topic of “artificial intelligence”.

Google wants to afford fewer gimmicks

According to the report, various teams within Area 120 have been notified this week that their projects will either be abandoned altogether or at least reorganized. Google is said to have asked the employees concerned to either look for new tasks elsewhere in the group within a certain time frame, or to leave the company.

Google only said in a statement that the focus of Area 120 projects will shift to “solving important user problems” and AI issues in the future. Therefore, some projects would be canceled to make room for new topics. The aim is to support the employees concerned in finding new tasks. Although employees can now look for other jobs in the Group, this is becoming increasingly difficult in view of the announced reduction in new hires.

Among the products affected by the deletions is Qaya, a service that allows YouTubers and other online personalities to create personalized shops. According to Google, it will continue to create new projects under the Area 120 umbrella.