Tech giant Google has reportedly laid off more than 200 contractors working on its artificial intelligence projects, including Gemini and AI Overviews, sparking concerns over job security, low pay, and retaliation against unionisation efforts.
Google Layoffs: Sudden Cuts Without Warning
More than 200 workers hired to train and refine Google’s AI systems were abruptly terminated last month, according to multiple sources who spoke to WIRED.
The layoffs at Google reportedly came in at least two separate rounds and were carried out with little to no prior warning.
“I was just cut off,” said Andrew Lauzon, a contractor who received an email on 15 August informing him that his contract had ended told WIRED. “I asked for a reason, and they said ramp-down on the project—whatever that means.”
Lauzon, who joined Hitachi-owned GlobalLogic in March 2024, was involved in rating and improving outputs from Google’s Gemini chatbot and other AI tools. “How are we supposed to feel secure in this employment when we know that we could go at any moment?” he added.
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These contractors were part of an elite group known as “super raters”, specialists tasked with evaluating and rewriting AI-generated responses to make them sound more natural and accurate. Many of them hold advanced degrees, including master’s and PhDs, and come from diverse fields such as education, writing, and the arts.
Their work was critical to shaping the performance of Google’s AI products, including the AI Overviews feature, which summarises search results using generative AI.
“We as raters play an incredibly vital role,” said Alex, a generalist rater employed by GlobalLogic. “The engineers between messing with the code and everything, they’re not going to have the time to fine tune and get the feedback they need for the bot. We’re like the lifeguards on the beach—we’re there to make sure nothing bad happens.”
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Workers allege that the mass layoffs were linked to growing efforts to unionise and demand better wages and conditions, according to WIRED report. Several employees claim they faced direct retaliation for organising, with two filing complaints with the US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
One contractor told WIRED they were dismissed after raising concerns about wage transparency, while another claimed they were terminated for advocating for colleagues.
Ricardo Levario, a teacher from Texas and one of the first super raters hired, helped spearhead union efforts after witnessing stark pay disparities. According to Levario, GlobalLogic paid its directly hired super raters $28 to $32 an hour, while third-party contractors performing identical work received only $18 to $22 an hour.
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By December 2024, the group had grown to 18 union members, expanding to 60 by February 2025. But soon after, tensions escalated. Social chat spaces used by remote workers to communicate were suddenly banned.
“The social spaces helped us to feel less robotic and more human,” said Faith Frontera, another contractor. “It’s important, especially in a remote environment where you don’t get to see your coworkers face-to-face.”
Levario claims that his dismissal followed directly after he raised complaints about the policy. “During the five-minute call, they told me they were terminating my contract for violating the social spaces policy,” he said.
Google Layoffs: Growing Pressure Amid Global Movement
Labour experts argue that the treatment of Google’s AI contractors mirrors patterns seen in the broader tech industry, where outsourced workers face precarious conditions.
“This is the playbook,” said Mila Miceli, research lead at the DAIR Institute, which supports AI data workers worldwide. “Almost every outsourcing company doing data work where workers have tried to collectivise has seen similar retaliation.”
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Globally, AI data workers are beginning to fight back. In Kenya, a group of AI data labelers recently formed the Data Labelers Association to demand better pay and mental health support. Meanwhile, content moderators from Kenya, Turkey, and Colombia have launched a Global Trade Union Alliance of Content Moderators to push for improved working conditions.
Google Layoffs: Tech Giant Distances Itself
Google has denied direct responsibility for the layoffs, emphasising that the affected individuals were employed by GlobalLogic or its subcontractors.
WIRED quoted the tech giant as saying, “These individuals are employees of GlobalLogic or their subcontractors, not Alphabet,” said Google spokesperson Courtenay Mencini in a statement. “As the employers, GlobalLogic and their subcontractors are responsible for the employment and working conditions of their employees. We take our supplier relations seriously and audit the companies we work with against our Supplier Code of Conduct.”
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Workers fear they may be training AI to replace themselves. Internal documents seen by WIRED reportedly reveal that GlobalLogic has been developing systems to automate the very rating tasks its human contractors currently perform.
“It’s just been kind of an oppressive atmosphere,” said Alex. “We can’t really organise—we’re afraid that if we talk, we’re going to get fired or laid off.”