Google just slashed more than 100 design-related positions from its cloud division, halving some teams as the tech giant doubles down on artificial intelligence infrastructure spending. The cuts hit quantitative user experience research and platform design teams this week, with affected employees given until December to find new internal roles.
Google is making its most decisive bet yet on artificial intelligence, and the human cost is becoming clear. The search giant eliminated more than 100 design-focused positions from its cloud division this week, effectively halving some teams as it reshapes priorities around AI infrastructure spending.
The cuts targeted what insiders call the cognitive backbone of cloud product development - quantitative user experience research teams and platform service experience groups that use data and surveys to understand how customers actually interact with Google's enterprise tools. These aren't just designers tweaking button colors; they're the researchers who figure out why businesses choose Google Cloud over Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure.
According to internal documents obtained by CNBC, most affected roles are U.S.-based, and employees have been given a December deadline to find new positions within the company. It's a stark timeline that reflects how quickly Google is moving to reallocate resources.
This isn't happening in isolation. Since January, Google has systematically offered voluntary exit packages across human resources, hardware, search, ads, marketing, finance and commerce divisions. The company has also eliminated more than one-third of its managers overseeing small teams, streamlining decision-making as it scales AI operations.
The message from CEO Sundar Pichai couldn't be clearer. In August, he told employees the company needs "to be more efficient as we scale up so we don't solve everything with headcount," according to CNBC reporting. It's corporate speak for what everyone in Silicon Valley knows - the AI arms race demands massive capital reallocation.
The timing tells the real story. While Google cuts design roles, it's simultaneously . The company is essentially betting that AI tools can replace some of the human insight that UX researchers traditionally provided.