Google turns to AI as it lays off 12,000 employees

Jan 20, 2023 ·

Google is rushing to create a rival to ChatGPT, OpenAI's popular natural language processing model. This comes as Google announces 12,000 layoffs across its global workforce. The layoffs are expected to affect positions in sales and marketing, as well as product and engineering roles. Google is reportedly looking for machine-learning experts who can help it build a similar technology to OpenAI's ChatGPT.

Google's machine-learning arm, Google Brain, has been developing an AI system called Meena, which has shown impressive results in conversational tasks. The company is hoping that this technology can be used to build a ChatGPT rival. The goal will be to create a system that can converse with humans in natural language, using syntax and context. If successful, the technology could be used in customer service, personal assistants, and other applications.

The layoffs come at a time when Google is facing increasing competition from companies like Microsoft and Amazon in the field of AI. As Google looks to stay competitive, the company is investing heavily in AI, including building out its own chatbot platform. Google's efforts in this area have also included the development of a voice assistant, Google Duplex, and other AI-powered tools.

While Google may be able to compete with OpenAI by developing its own chatbot technology, it is uncertain how much of an impact its efforts will have. OpenAI's ChatGPT is already an industry leader in natural language processing, and its algorithms have been trained on millions of conversations. It remains to be seen if Google's own AI system, Meena, will be able to match its level of accuracy.

Ultimately, Google's decision to make drastic changes to its workforce shows its commitment to competing in the realm of AI. From eliminating 12,000 jobs to developing its own ChatGPT rival, Google is clearly determined to stay relevant in the world of AI. Whether or not its efforts will prove successful, only time will tell.