Google on Tuesday offered voluntary buyouts to U.S.-based employees across multiple divisions — including its search, advertising, research and engineering teams — as the tech giant continues trimming costs while simultaneously funding massive AI investments.
The “voluntary exit program” affects workers in Google’s Knowledge and Information division, which houses search and ad operations, as well as engineering, marketing and communications teams. Some divisions are also requiring remote workers living within 50 miles of an office to return to hybrid schedules or face potential terminations. (RELATED: The Washington Post Offers Journos Buyouts In Latest Shakeup)
“Earlier this year, some of our teams introduced a voluntary exit program with severance for U.S.-based Googlers, and several more are now offering the program to support our important work ahead,” Google spokeswoman Courtenay Mencini wrote in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Extract – a system built by the UK government, using our Gemini foundational model – will help council planners make faster decisions. 🚀
Using multimodal reasoning, it turns complex planning documents – even handwritten notes and blurry maps – into digital data in just 40s.… pic.twitter.com/zM37kHPany
— Google DeepMind (@GoogleDeepMind) June 9, 2025
Nick Fox, head of Google’s Knowledge and Information group, told employees the buyouts target those “who don’t feel aligned with our strategy, don’t feel energized by your work, or are having difficulty meeting the expectations of your role” in an internal memo obtained by CNBC. Fox didn’t respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
Fox reportedly emphasized that high-performing, engaged employees should stay, writing, “If you’re excited about your work, energized by the opportunity ahead, and performing well, I really (really!) hope you don’t take this!”
The buyouts are a new strategy for Google after widespread employee backlash when the company abruptly fired 12,000 workers in 2023. Since then, Google has implemented cost reductions in separated waves while dramatically increasing AI spending to compete with OpenAI and other rivals threatening its search dominance.
The company has offered similar buyout programs throughout 2025 to various divisions including its 25,000-person Platforms and Devices unit handling Android and Pixel hardware, as well as human resources, legal and finance teams, the outlet reported. Employees typically receive a minimum of 14 weeks’ pay plus additional compensation based on tenure, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Feds Push To Dismantle Google’s Ad Empire After Landmark Antitrust Ruling)
Google’s cost-cutting regime comes after the company teed up roughly $75 billion in capital expenditures this year, according to a Q4 2024 earnings call — up from $52.5 billion in 2024, primarily for AI infrastructure development, Reuters reported. The buyouts notably exclude workers in DeepMind, Google Cloud, YouTube and the central advertising sales organization.
Tuesday’s announcement follows Google’s rollout last month of “AI Mode” in U.S. search, which provides chatbot-style responses to queries — marking a significant shift away from traditional link-based results as the company races to maintain market leadership against AI-powered competitors.
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