Amazon lays off hundreds in its Alexa division as it plows resources into AI


PTI, Nov 18, 2023, 8:43 AM IST

Representative image (Source: Pexels)

New York: Amazon is cutting hundreds of jobs in the unit that handles its popular voice assistant Alexa as it plows more resources into artificial intelligence.

In a note to employees on Friday, Daniel Rausch, Amazon’s vice president of Alexa and Fire TV, wrote that the company is eliminating certain roles because it is ditching some initiatives.

“As we continue to invent, we’re shifting some of our efforts to better align with our business priorities, and what we know matters most to customers — which includes maximizing our resources and efforts focused on generative AI,” Rausch wrote.

He said “several hundred” positions would be cut but did not give a more precise figure.

Seattle-based Amazon is in fierce competition with other tech companies rushing to capitalize on the generative AI craze.

The company has been implementing a host of AI initiatives in the past few months, from infusing the technology into customer reviews to providing services that allow developers to build their own AI tools on its AWS cloud infrastructure.

In September, Amazon unveiled an update to Alexa that infuses it with more generative AI features. The job cuts announced on Friday will impact employees in the U.S., Canada and India.

It follows more recent layoffs in Amazon’s gaming and music teams, and also adds to the 27,000 employees the company laid off during the later parts of last year and earlier this year. Amazon’s Alexa unit was also impacted by those cuts.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

Non-performance of batters is worrying, we will strive to do something special in Australia: Rohit

K-Rail can be implemented if technical issues in design addressed, says Centre

Naxalism will be wiped out from country by March 2026: Home Minister Amit Shah

How biscuits played an unconventional yet key role in anti-terror operation in Srinagar

Koderma stone industry to be revived with Rs 500 cr special package: Shah

Journalists facing atrocities under BJP regime: SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav

UP: Villagers hold 2 policemen hostage, accuse them of extortion

Related Articles More

Maruti Suzuki looks to cash in on ‘few lakh marriages’ in Nov to carry festive sales momentum

Mcap of 6 of top-10 most valued firms jump Rs 1 lakh cr; State Bank, ICICI Bank top gainers

Sensex, Nifty decline on selling in IT shares, FII sellout; end Samvat 2080 with 22% gains

Sensex, Nifty decline in early trade on unabated foreign fund outflows, selling in IT stocks

Gold surges Rs 1,000 to breach Rs 82k-mark as Diwali sparkles demand

MUST WATCH

Gho Pooja in Deepavali Festival

Melukote Deepavali

Ganapathi Co-operative Society Ltd

Udayavani Chinnara Banna 2024

Annapoorna Aahar | Food Places In Mysore


Latest Additions

India and China made ‘some progress’ in disengagement, says EAM S Jaishankar

Non-performance of batters is worrying, we will strive to do something special in Australia: Rohit

K-Rail can be implemented if technical issues in design addressed, says Centre

Naxalism will be wiped out from country by March 2026: Home Minister Amit Shah

India wants to grow with world: EAM Jaishankar

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.