Google, the ubiquitous web search giant deeply ingrained in our daily lives, has unveiled plans to usher in a new era by replacing over 30,000 jobs with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. This strategic move aims to enhance operational efficiency and improve customer service on a global scale. Anticipated to roll out by November 2024, this transformative shift towards AI integration is poised to trigger significant workforce changes, resulting in mass layoffs.
The revelation surfaced through internal channels within the internet behemoth and was reported by First Post yesterday. While the specific individuals facing job displacement remain undisclosed, employees in administrative, marketing, and partially in sales roles are slated to receive pink slips by March of this year.
In a parallel development, Google has entered into a settlement agreement to resolve a class-action lawsuit, committing to pay a substantial $5 billion. The legal dispute stemmed from allegations that Google breached user privacy by monitoring individuals utilizing the Incognito Mode in Chrome Browsers, contradicting its claim of providing a highly private browsing experience.
As part of the settlement, affected users who employed the browser feature between 2016 and 2020 are entitled to $5,000 each. However, legal analysts caution that Alphabet Inc’s subsidiary, responsible for YouTube, may impose stringent guidelines on users seeking compensation. The details of the settlement are pending finalization by the court before February 24, 2024, with a formal announcement to follow.
Shifting focus to Google Play Protect, the tech giant has introduced enhanced performance features for the application dedicated to conducting security checks and thwarting potential threats. Noteworthy functionalities include scanning for malicious applications, deactivating and removing harmful apps from devices, placing unused apps in sleep mode, preventing unwanted software from operating in the Android ecosystem, user permission alerts, permission resets, and more.
The Play Protect feature extends its capabilities to track billing fraud, detect trojans and backdoors, block spyware, defend against DDOS attacks, prevent harmful codes from running within the Android ecosystem, thwart phishing and ransomware attempts, and block spyware and spam for device users. This robust suite of security measures underscores Google’s commitment to providing a secure and protected user experience within the Android environment.
