Dozens of jobs at Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Google are at risk due to AI. One of the company's most-used services, Google Assistant, is now getting a dose of artificial intelligence as it looks to stay competitive in a fast-changing world.
What Happened: Google Assistant is all set to be "supercharged" with AI, leading to a "small number" of roles being axed in the team, reported Axios.
Explaining the changes in an internal email, Google said it sees a "huge opportunity to explore what a supercharged Assistant, powered by the latest LLM technology, would look like."
Interestingly enough, Google says it has already started working on a version of it for mobiles. For consumers, Google clarifies that both the old and new versions will be supported, giving the company time to transition to the new AI-injected Assistant.
The new Google Assistant will also help the company take on Bing Chat which ChatGPT powers. Currently, Google Assistant is plagued by various issues - users report that it sometimes fails to process commands like "turn off the TV" or manage other connected smart devices.
It can also not perform other basic functions that rivals like Samsung's Bixby can - for instance, Google Assistant cannot turn off the phone, while Bixby can.
An AI-injected Google Assistant will be able to leverage the rapid advancements in generative AI and support more tasks and return better answers. A look at Google Bard should give us a glimpse into what to expect from the new Assistant.
Why It Is Important: The adoption of AI in businesses has always carried with it the fear of employees losing their jobs. Google is one of the largest technology companies in the world, and the roles being eliminated in the Google Assistant team could just be a sign of things to come.
Google said affected employees will have 60 days to search for another position within the company.