Alphabet’s Google to Lay Off Some Trust and Safety Employees Amid Issues with Generative AI Tool Gemini
Alphabet Inc.’s Google is reportedly planning to lay off a small number of employees from its trust and safety team due to concerns regarding its generative AI tool Gemini. According to a report by Bloomberg, the job cuts will only impact “fewer than 10 people out of a team of about 250.”
The trust and safety team at Google is responsible for establishing rules for AI products, focusing on minimizing the potential for bad actors to manipulate the tools. Additionally, the team conducts risk evaluations to ensure that the tools are safe for Google’s global user base.
Due to the issues with Gemini, Google has asked some team members to work in order to prevent further missteps by the tool. In an email to trust and safety employees, a Google leader emphasized the need for multiple volunteers on standby to conduct rapid adversarial testing on high priority topics.
One individual informed Bloomberg that the team has been overwhelmed with work as the company deals with the repercussions of Gemini generating inaccurate images of people.
Earlier, Google CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledged the efforts of the trust and safety team, mentioning that employees have been working tirelessly to address the problems flagged by users regarding Gemini’s responses.
The job cuts at Google have been part of the company’s ongoing efforts to streamline operations. Since mid-January, the tech giant has been reorganizing employees across various teams. A spokesperson from Google stated, “We’re responsibly investing in our company’s biggest priorities and the significant opportunities ahead. We’re simplifying our structures to give employees more opportunity to work on our most innovative and important advances and our biggest company priorities, while reducing bureaucracy and layers.”
Despite these job cuts, Google remains committed to ensuring the safety and efficiency of its AI tools as it continues to tackle the challenges associated with advanced technology.
Analyst comment
Positive news. The layoffs at Google’s trust and safety team due to issues with the AI tool Gemini could improve efficiency and address problems more effectively. The market is likely to see improved safety measures and enhanced development of AI tools in the future.
