Why Google has laid off over 200 AI contractors
What's the story
GlobalLogic, an outsourcing firm working for Google, has laid off over 200 contract workers who were helping improve Google's artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The affected workers had been performing tasks like reviewing and editing responses from Google's Gemini chatbot and refining AI-generated summaries for Google Search. The layoffs have raised concerns among the workers that their work was being used to train AI models, which could eventually replace them.
Role
What did the contractors do?
The contractors were required to verify if the AI system's responses were accurate, natural-sounding, and based on reliable sources. Despite their specialized roles, many workers complained about low pay, tight deadlines, and lack of job security.
Automation fears
Accusations of using workers' skills to automate jobs
Some workers have accused GlobalLogic of using their skills to train systems meant to automate the very work they were doing. Internal documents reviewed by WIRED indicate that the company was building AI tools capable of automatically rating chatbot responses. This has further fueled fears among the remaining workers about job security and their role in Google's AI development process.
Labor disputes
Worker unrest and unionization attempts
The layoffs come amid worker unrest, with some contractors trying to push for better pay and transparency. Others have complained about the workload pressure, including strict time limits for tasks that prioritized speed over quality. A group even planned forming a union under the Alphabet Workers Union but claims such efforts were discouraged. At least two workers have filed complaints with the US labor board, claiming they were fired for raising concerns about conditions.
Wage gap
Disparities in pay among workers
There are also reports of widening disparities within the workforce. Workers directly hired by GlobalLogic earned between $28-32 an hour, while contractors hired via third-party agencies were paid between $18 and $22 for the same work. Generalist raters, who did not need advanced degrees, were paid even less despite sometimes being pulled into more complex projects.
Job insecurity
Contract workers feel trapped
Some remaining workers feel trapped in their current situation. A few who joined GlobalLogic as full-time employees got better stability, but most are still on short-term contracts without any benefits or paid leave. Many are hesitant to raise concerns now for fear of being next in line for dismissal. "It's just been an oppressive atmosphere," one rater said, highlighting the dire situation of contract workers at Google.