Google Offers Buyouts in Five Nations Amid Rising AI Investments

Alphabet-owned Google has expanded its voluntary employee exit programme to five countries as the company looks to control rising costs amid heavy investments in artificial intelligence. The company confirmed to Reuters that it began offering voluntary exit packages in June to employees in Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland. The latest expansion follows similar programmes introduced in certain divisions in the United States and the United Kingdom since last year. Google said the initiative was intended to support its future priorities, while executives have identified artificial intelligence and cloud computing as key areas for investment and hiring.

In Switzerland, where Google employs around 5,000 people and operates a major engineering hub in Zurich, the programme reportedly covered several divisions but excluded its DeepMind unit. Employees who accepted the offer began leaving in August. According to people familiar with the matter, applications were accepted by mid-July, and eligible employees received one month’s salary for every year of service, subject to a maximum of 12 months. At least four employees in one team of around 50 reportedly accepted the offer. The move comes as technology companies face pressure to manage costs while increasing spending on AI. Google has also been shifting resources towards priority business areas, with its Cloud and DeepMind teams excluded from previous buyout offers.