Google is quietly laying off staff in its cloud division - Business Insider

Google is the latest Big Tech company to do layoffs this year.Employees working at Google Cloud have been hit by cuts over the last two weeks, two people familiar with the matter told Business Insider.One team, Google's Threat Intelligence Group, which is one of Google's top security units and regularly publishes research about hackers, was impacted yesterday, the people said. Some employees have been posting about the layoffs on LinkedIn.The cuts were not limited to that unit, affecting others at Mandiant — a cybersecurity company bought by Google in 2022 — and within Google Cloud, the people added.It's unclear exactly how many people were impacted and why the cuts are happening now. In one instance, Google cited the need to reinvest in growth areas, such as AI, to justify the move, one of the people said."We regularly evaluate our internal structures to ensure we are best positioned to meet the evolving demands of our customers and the industry," a Google spokesperson told Business Insider.The cuts are just the latest to hit Big Tech as companies pour billions into AI. Meta laid off 10% of its staff last month, while others like Coinbase and Block used AI to justify big cuts earlier this year. Cybersecurity has also been affected: Cloudflare laid off more than 1,100 employees earlier last month as it prepares for the "agentic AI era."Last year, Google Cloud quietly let go of some staff, mostly in user experience roles, Business Insider reported.Have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at crollet@businessinsider.com or on Signal and WhatsApp at 628-282-2811. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.