In a recent revelation on the Big Technology Podcast, Perplexity AI’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, disclosed that Google offered a significant 300% raise to an employee intending to switch to Perplexity AI. The recipient of this substantial raise was a member of Google’s search team, rather than being directly affiliated with the company’s AI sector. Srinivas also discussed the tech industry's ongoing layoffs, noting that large tech companies often target high-earning employees who may not be contributing proportionally to their salaries.
The tech sector witnessed a significant wave of layoffs in 2024, with over 32,000 positions eliminated in the first month alone, leaving many individuals unemployed. Google CEO Sundar Pichai had previously warned employees about forthcoming layoffs, emphasizing the necessity of making tough decisions to accommodate strategic investments. Since January 10, Google has let go of more than a thousand employees across various departments, as part of its broader restructuring plan announced in 2023, which aimed to reduce its global workforce by approximately 6%.
Pichai had announced in 2023 plans to eliminate around 12,000 positions, or about 6% of the company's total staff worldwide. He acknowledged the difficult nature of this decision and noted that the process would vary in duration due to local laws and customs in different countries. Layoffs at Alphabet, Google's parent company, have affected numerous employees, including hundreds in advertising sales, hardware teams responsible for Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit devices, and a significant portion of the augmented reality team. Additionally, dozens of employees at Google's X Lab division have been affected by the layoffs.
Swift summary:
Perplexity AI's CEO revealed on the Big Technology Podcast that Google offered a 300% raise to an employee planning to switch to Perplexity AI from the search team. This highlights Google's efforts to retain talent amidst the tech industry's layoffs, with over 32,000 positions cut in 2024. Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, warned of more layoffs, part of a broader restructuring plan announced in 2023 to reduce the workforce by 6%. This affected various departments, including advertising sales and hardware teams, with hundreds impacted, along with layoffs at Alphabet's X Lab division.
Major points:
- - Perplexity AI's CEO disclosed on the Big Technology Podcast that Google offered a 300% raise to an employee intending to switch to Perplexity AI.
- - The recipient of the raise was from Google's search team, not directly associated with the AI sector.
- - This move highlights Google's efforts to retain talent amidst ongoing layoffs in the tech industry.
- - In 2024, the tech sector saw over 32,000 positions eliminated in the first month alone.
- - Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, warned of additional layoffs, part of a broader restructuring plan announced in 2023 to reduce the global workforce by 6%.
- - The layoffs have impacted various departments, including advertising sales, hardware teams (Pixel, Nest, Fitbit), and the augmented reality team.
- - Additionally, layoffs have occurred at Alphabet's X Lab division, affecting dozens of employees.