Google Cuts Over 200 AI Contractors, Raising Job Security and Union Concerns

Google has reportedly laid off more than 200 contract workers who were helping train its artificial intelligence tools, including Gemini and AI Overviews. The move has sparked concerns about job security, low pay, and possible backlash against union efforts.

According to a report by WIRED, the layoffs happened in two rounds last month without much warning. Many contractors said they were suddenly locked out of their work systems with no clear explanation.

“I was just cut off,” said Andrew Lauzon, a contractor who received an email on August 15 telling him his contract was over. Lauzon had been hired by GlobalLogic, a company owned by Hitachi, in March 2024 to help train Google’s Gemini chatbot.

He added:

“They said it was a ramp-down on the project — whatever that means. How can we feel secure when we know we can be let go anytime?”

Most of the affected workers were part of a group called “super raters.” They were highly educated, with many holding master’s degrees or PhDs, and played a key role in improving AI responses, making them more natural, accurate, and safe for users.

One rater, Alex, compared their role to being lifeguards:

“Engineers don’t have the time to review everything. We’re there to make sure nothing bad slips through.”

The laid-off workers had been improving the performance of features like AI Overviews, which summarizes search results in Google Search.

Google responded by saying it wasn't directly responsible for the layoffs.

“These individuals are employees of GlobalLogic or its subcontractors, not Alphabet,” said Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini.
“Employment terms are handled by GlobalLogic and their partners.”

The layoffs come at a time when Google is aggressively expanding its AI efforts to compete with rivals like OpenAI and Microsoft.

Workers say the sudden cuts highlight bigger problems around how tech companies rely on contract workers while limiting their job security and voice in the workplace.