Google’s in-house research and development division, known as Area 120, has been significantly impacted by recent layoffs at the company. According to reports, a majority of the Area 120 team has been “winded down.” The division, which has been responsible for developing and launching several innovative products, such as gaming platform GameSnacks, an AirTable rival called Tables, an AI-powered conversational ads platform AdLingo, video platforms Tangi and Shoploop, and more, had around 100 employees.
A company spokesperson confirmed the layoffs, stating that “employees in the US who were affected have been notified [of layoffs at Area 120, but in other countries this process will take longer, and is subject to local laws and practices.” The spokesperson also noted that the managing partner of Area 120 remains at the company.
These layoffs come as part of a larger restructuring effort at Google’s parent company, Alphabet, which announced on Friday that it would be cutting 12,000 jobs. The company’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, expressed remorse for the decision, saying that he is “deeply sorry” for the impact it will have on affected employees and that he takes “full responsibility for the decisions that led us here.”
In an email to employees, Pichai also noted that the company has already sent a separate email to employees in the US who are affected by the layoffs, and that the process will take longer in other countries due to local laws and practices. The roles being eliminated cut across Alphabet, product areas, functions, levels, and regions.
The news of the layoffs at Area 120 is a significant blow to the division, which has been a leader in innovation and product development within Google. The impact on the employees and the products that have been developed under the division’s umbrella is not yet clear, but it is certain that the loss of talented team members and the winding down of projects will have a considerable effect on the division’s ability to continue driving innovation within Google.
It is important to note that this is not the first time that Google has undergone layoffs, but it is certainly one of the largest rounds of layoffs in the company’s history. As the tech industry continues to evolve and change, companies like Google will likely continue to adjust their workforce in order to stay competitive. However, the impact on employees, both current and future, as well as the products and services that Google provides to its customers, will be closely watched in the coming months and years.
