Google has laid off hundreds of contractors working on its AI products, WIRED reports.
The tech giant has been outsourcing work related to evaluating, editing, or rewriting its Gemini chatbot to improve the technology’s intelligence and make it sound more human. WIRED reports that thousands of contractors were tapped for this work from companies including Hitachi-owned GlobalLogic. Most of the work was based in the U.S., and the requirements for these roles include holding a master’s or a Ph.D., and experience as a writer, teacher, or creative.
The outlet states that GlobalLogic employed “generalist raters” to assist with Google’s search results. In spring 2023, Google allegedly contacted the company to recruit “super raters” to help with its products, starting with AI Overviews.
“We as raters play an incredibly vital role, because 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.” explained Alex, who was hired on as a “generalist raters,” per WIRED.
Ricardo Levario, a Texas teacher, who was among the early “super raters,” commented:
“After the success [of this pilot], we learned that Google was interested in growing the program, and they were going to bring on cohorts of 20 people every week.”
Levario also claims that while GlobalLogic paid between $28 and $32 hourly, Google’s contracted “super raters” were compensated $18-$22 per hour.
These wage discrepancies are just one part of the growing concerns around pay and work conditions. Per WIRED, workers fear that Google intends to use their labor to replace them with AI. By February 2025, around 60 workers unionized to address these concerns, allegedly prompting Google to ban workers’ engagement on the company’s social channels while on the clock.
“I believe that [because] the union was happening, people were discussing their pay and stuff, painting a bad picture, and so they did it as a means to stop us from communicating with one another and that’s what made the environment hostile.” an anonymous super rater told WIRED.
Now, the company has allegedly laid off over 200 contractors unexpectedly.
“I was just cut off,” Andrew Lauzon told WIRED, who began working at GlobalLogic in 2024 and was terminated on Aug. 15.
“I asked for a reason, and they said ramp-down on the project—whatever that means. How are we supposed to feel secure in this employment when we know that we could go at any moment,” Lauzon continued.
Courtenay Mencin, a Google spokesperson, responded to complaints, saying:
“These individuals are employees of GlobalLogic or their subcontractors, not Alphabet,” Mencini said in a statement, according to Wired.
“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,” Mencini continued.
GlobalLogic has not yet responded.
