Amid Google's AI Push, 4,500 Employees Write To Sundar Pichai Over Layoffs

More than 4,500 Google employees have signed a petition asking CEO Sundar Pichai to introduce stronger safeguards against layoffs. The demand comes as Google continues to invest billions of dollars in AI while cutting jobs across several teams. 

The petition was delivered to Pichai's office by members of the Alphabet Workers Union. Nearly 100 employees also gathered outside the campus to support the move, making it one of the largest employee-led campaigns on job security in the company's history. 

Why Employees Are Worried?

The message from workers is simple: if AI is transforming the workplace, employees shouldn't be the ones paying the price.

The petition calls for guaranteed severance packages, voluntary buyout options before compulsory layoffs, and changes to Google's performance review system, which workers say relies too heavily on forced rankings. They have also asked the company to treat severance as paid leave rather than an immediate exit. 

The campaign reflects growing unease across the technology industry, where companies are pouring record sums into AI infrastructure while trimming workforces in the name of efficiency. 

A Different Kind Of Employee Protest

Google employees have staged protests before, but those movements largely focused on ethical concerns such as military contracts, workplace culture and responsible AI.

This time, the issue is personal.

Workers say their biggest concern is whether their jobs will survive the company's AI transformation. Union leaders described the petition as the largest employee feedback initiative on job security that Google has ever received. 

'Profits Over People'

Alphabet Workers Union President Parul Koul accused the company of prioritising shareholder returns over employees despite Google's soaring market value (around Rs 4.28 lakh crore). “These layoffs and cuts are not difficult decisions, but simply profit being put over the people that make this company run,” said Koul.

The union argues that repeated layoffs are becoming a business strategy rather than a last resort. It says workers deserve predictable protections as AI changes the way Google operates. 

Layoffs Amid AI Push: Part Of A Much Bigger Trend

The concerns extend well beyond Google.

Over the past two years, several technology companies have reduced headcount while simultaneously increasing investments in AI. The shift has fuelled fears that automation and AI-assisted workflows could replace some existing roles, even as companies insist the technology is designed to improve productivity rather than eliminate jobs. 

For Google employees, the latest petition is an attempt to ensure that the benefits of AI are shared with the people building it-not just the business.