arstechnica.com Open in urlscan Pro
18.189.75.205  Public Scan

Submitted URL: https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/B8yiyuGjS2D8eI_1wSsXFNddWa_pwHuhtbc0XyDbugdV895ceAsj6PtRAjz7TRycU28rwRJnnph1iXJ65DZW3BPZIxw...
Effective URL: https://arstechnica.com/google/2024/01/google-lays-off-hundreds-more-as-ad-division-switches-to-ai-powered-sales/?utm_so...
Submission: On January 25 via api from SG — Scanned from SG

Form analysis 3 forms found in the DOM

GET /search/

<form action="/search/" method="GET" id="search_form">
  <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF-8">
  <input type="text" name="q" id="hdr_search_input" value="" aria-label="Search..." placeholder="Search...">
</form>

POST https://api.bounceexchange.com/capture/submit

<form id="bx-form-1643624-step-1" bx-novalidate="true" method="post" action="https://api.bounceexchange.com/capture/submit" onsubmit="return bouncex.submitCampaignStep(1643624); return false" onreset="bouncex.close_ad(1643624); return false"
  aria-labelledby="bx-campaign-ally-title-1643624" class="bx-ally-no-focus"><input type="hidden" name="campaign_id" value="1643624">
  <div class="bx-group bx-group-default bx-group-1643624-rQWiaQ5 bx-group-rQWiaQ5" id="bx-group-1643624-rQWiaQ5">
    <div class="bx-row bx-row-image bx-row-image-logo  bx-row-ICDTsc2 bx-element-1643624-ICDTsc2" id="bx-element-1643624-ICDTsc2"><img src="//assets.bounceexchange.com/assets/uploads/clients/2806/creatives/78dbf26fc8687b650f46e91adf23f5fa.svg"
        alt="logo"></div>
  </div>
  <div class="bx-group bx-group-default bx-group-1643624-9V7DjRk bx-group-9V7DjRk" id="bx-group-1643624-9V7DjRk">
    <div class="bx-2-heading wknd-ally-focus" id="bx-group-1643624-9V7DjRk-h2" tabindex="-1" role="heading" aria-level="2">
      <div class="bx-row bx-row-text bx-row-text-default  bx-row-eLuSF9U bx-element-1643624-eLuSF9U" id="bx-element-1643624-eLuSF9U">
        <div>Join Ars Technica and</div>
      </div>
      <div class="bx-row bx-row-text bx-row-text-headline  bx-row-nNHNozp bx-element-1643624-nNHNozp" id="bx-element-1643624-nNHNozp">
        <div>Get Our Best Tech Stories</div>
      </div>
      <div class="bx-row bx-row-text bx-row-text-subheadline  bx-row-IMQMdcF bx-element-1643624-IMQMdcF" id="bx-element-1643624-IMQMdcF">
        <div>Delivered Straight to your Inbox.</div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
  <div class="bx-group bx-group-default bx-group-1643624-7Y4PFWQ bx-group-7Y4PFWQ" id="bx-group-1643624-7Y4PFWQ">
    <div class="bx-row bx-row-input bx-row-input-default  bx-row-VYWXDZZ bx-element-1643624-VYWXDZZ" id="bx-element-1643624-VYWXDZZ">
      <div class="bx-inputwrap"><input class="bx-el bx-input" id="bx-element-1643624-VYWXDZZ-input" type="email" name="email" placeholder="Email address" aria-required="true"></div>
      <div class="bx-component  bx-component-validation bx-vtext bx-error-1643624-email" id="bx-error-1643624-email">Please enter above</div>
    </div>
    <div class="bx-row bx-row-submit bx-row-submit-default  bx-row-KmYHkpO bx-element-1643624-KmYHkpO" id="bx-element-1643624-KmYHkpO"><button type="submit" class="bx-button" data-click="submit" data-step-delay="0" data-submit-jump="0"
        data-submit-force="0">SIGN ME UP</button></div>
  </div>
  <div class="bx-group bx-group-micro bx-group-1643624-yAl252D bx-group-yAl252D" id="bx-group-1643624-yAl252D">
    <div class="bx-row bx-row-text bx-row-text-sosumi  bx-row-0aOCKMV bx-element-1643624-0aOCKMV" id="bx-element-1643624-0aOCKMV">
      <div>By signing up, you agree to our <a href="https://www.condenast.com/user-agreement" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: underline; display: inline;">user agreement</a> (including the
        <a href="https://www.condenast.com/user-agreement#section-viii-g" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: underline; display: inline;"> class action waiver and arbitration provisions</a>), our
        <a href="https://www.condenast.com/privacy-policy" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: underline; display: inline;">privacy policy and cookie statement</a>, and to receive marketing and account-related emails from Ars Technica. You can
        unsubscribe at any time.</div>
    </div>
  </div><input autocomplete="carb-trap" type="input" name="carb-trap" tabindex="-1" aria-hidden="true" class="bx-input bx-carb-trap">
</form>

POST https://api.bounceexchange.com/capture/submit

<form id="bx-form-1643624-step-2" bx-novalidate="true" method="post" action="https://api.bounceexchange.com/capture/submit" onsubmit="return bouncex.submitCampaignStep(1643624); return false" onreset="bouncex.close_ad(1643624); return false"
  aria-labelledby="bx-campaign-ally-title-1643624" class="bx-ally-no-focus"><input type="hidden" name="campaign_id" value="1643624">
  <div class="bx-group bx-group-default bx-group-1643624-VnlQ1Q6 bx-group-VnlQ1Q6" id="bx-group-1643624-VnlQ1Q6">
    <div class="bx-row bx-row-image bx-row-image-logo  bx-row-wuBSHw3 bx-element-1643624-wuBSHw3" id="bx-element-1643624-wuBSHw3"><img src="//assets.bounceexchange.com/assets/uploads/clients/2806/creatives/78dbf26fc8687b650f46e91adf23f5fa.svg"
        alt=""></div>
  </div>
  <div class="bx-group bx-group-default bx-group-1643624-YytTDny bx-group-YytTDny" id="bx-group-1643624-YytTDny">
    <div class="bx-2-heading wknd-ally-focus" id="bx-group-1643624-YytTDny-h2" tabindex="-1" role="heading" aria-level="2">
      <div class="bx-row bx-row-text bx-row-text-default  bx-row-73sFtao bx-element-1643624-73sFtao" id="bx-element-1643624-73sFtao">
        <div>Thanks!</div>
      </div>
      <div class="bx-row bx-row-text bx-row-text-headline  bx-row-YJNA5ZQ bx-element-1643624-YJNA5ZQ" id="bx-element-1643624-YJNA5ZQ">
        <div>You Are Successfully Subscribed</div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</form>

Text Content

Skip to main content
 * Biz & IT
 * Tech
 * Science
 * Policy
 * Cars
 * Gaming & Culture
 * Store
 * Forums

Subscribe

Close


NAVIGATE

 * Store
 * Subscribe
 * Videos
 * Features
 * Reviews

 * RSS Feeds
 * Mobile Site

 * About Ars
 * Staff Directory
 * Contact Us

 * Advertise with Ars
 * Reprints


FILTER BY TOPIC

 * Biz & IT
 * Tech
 * Science
 * Policy
 * Cars
 * Gaming & Culture
 * Store
 * Forums


SETTINGS

Front page layout


Grid


List


Site theme

light

dark

Sign in

PERFORMANCE MAX IS LIKE SKYNET, BUT FOR ADS —


GOOGLE LAYS OFF “HUNDREDS” MORE AS AD DIVISION SWITCHES TO AI-POWERED SALES


GOOGLERS ARE NOW BUILDING AI TOOLS SO OTHER GOOGLERS CAN BE LAID OFF.

Ron Amadeo - 1/17/2024, 6:09 AM

Enlarge
Getty Images | Alexander Koerner

READER COMMENTS

217

In December, we heard that job cuts might be coming for Google's ad sales
division, and it's here. Business Insider reports Google is laying off "hundreds
of employees" from the ad sales team. The cuts are mostly in the "Large Customer
Sales" (LCS) team, which serves the company's biggest advertising clients.

We expected this. The Information detailed that layoffs would come to Google's
Ad division this month. That report said that many of those are being laid off
or reassigned because AI is replacing them. Google has been packing Google
Ads—its most important product—with tons of generative AI features lately. One
is a natural-language chatbot that helps people navigate the large selection of
ad products; another is a system that can just make ad assets like images and
text on its own based on a budget and goals given by the ad purchaser. Google's
generative AI ad system is part of a product called "Performance Max," which
works by autonomously remixing and tweaking your ads using the click-through
rate as an instant feedback system. Google used to have humans do sales guidance
for its products, create art assets, and decide on text and layouts, but now AI
can do it a thousand times a second.

Enter your email to get the Ars Technica newsletter
close dialog
Join Ars Technica and
Get Our Best Tech Stories
Delivered Straight to your Inbox.
Please enter above
SIGN ME UP
By signing up, you agree to our user agreement (including the class action
waiver and arbitration provisions), our privacy policy and cookie statement, and
to receive marketing and account-related emails from Ars Technica. You can
unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks!
You Are Successfully Subscribed
close dialog

Advertisement


For Google, this is the latest in an increasing number of layoffs since last
year. Last week, there were "hundreds" laid off from the hardware, Google
Assistant, and AR divisions. Before that, there were layoffs in Google News, and
before that, layoffs came to recruiting, Waze, Waymo, a robot division, and
generally all across Google.

The Business Insider report has the full staff memo that Philipp Schindler,
Google's chief business officer, sent to the staff announcing the layoffs. The
memo doesn't reference AI as a reason for the layoffs, but given the previous
report, it seems that Googlers are now working to put some of their co-workers
out of a job. This will be one of the first of what's expected to be a wave of
generative AI job cuts across the industry.


ARS VIDEO


HOW SCIENTISTS RESPOND TO SCIENCE DENIERS




READER COMMENTS

217
Ron Amadeo Ron is the Reviews Editor at Ars Technica, where he specializes in
Android OS and Google products. He is always on the hunt for a new gadget and
loves to rip things apart to see how they work. He loves to tinker and always
seems to be working on a new project.

Advertisement




CHANNEL ARS TECHNICA

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES OF QUANTUM LEAP WITH DONALD P. BELLISARIO

Today "Quantum Leap" series creator Donald P. Bellisario joins Ars Technica to
answer once and for all the lingering questions we have about his enduringly
popular show. Was Dr. Sam Beckett really leaping between all those time periods
and people or did he simply imagine it all? What do people in the waiting room
do while Sam is in their bodies? What happens to Sam's loyal ally Al? 30 years
following the series finale, answers to these mysteries and more await.

 * UNSOLVED MYSTERIES OF QUANTUM LEAP WITH DONALD P. BELLISARIO

 * UNSOLVED MYSTERIES OF WARHAMMER 40K WITH AUTHOR DAN ABNETT

 * SITREP: F-16 REPLACEMENT SEARCH A SIGNAL OF F-35 FAIL?

 * SITREP: BOEING 707

 * STEVE BURKE OF GAMERSNEXUS REACTS TO THEIR TOP 1000 COMMENTS ON YOUTUBE

 * MODERN VINTAGE GAMER REACTS TO HIS TOP 1000 COMMENTS ON YOUTUBE

 * HOW THE NES CONQUERED A SKEPTICAL AMERICA IN 1985

 * SCOTT MANLEY REACTS TO HIS TOP 1000 YOUTUBE COMMENTS

 * HOW HORROR WORKS IN AMNESIA: REBIRTH, SOMA AND AMNESIA: THE DARK DESCENT

 * LGR'S CLINT BASINGER REACTS TO HIS TOP 1000 YOUTUBE COMMENTS

 * THE F-35'S NEXT TECH UPGRADE

 * HOW ONE GAMEPLAY DECISION CHANGED DIABLO FOREVER

 * UNSOLVED MORTAL KOMBAT MYSTERIES WITH DOMINIC CIANCIOLO FROM NETHERREALM
   STUDIOS

 * US NAVY GETS AN ITALIAN ACCENT

 * HOW AMAZON’S “UNDONE” ANIMATES DREAMS WITH ROTOSCOPING AND OIL PAINTS

 * FIGHTER PILOT BREAKS DOWN EVERY BUTTON IN AN F-15 COCKPIT

 * HOW NBA JAM BECAME A BILLION-DOLLAR SLAM DUNK

 * LINUS "TECH TIPS" SEBASTIAN REACTS TO HIS TOP 1000 YOUTUBE COMMENTS

 * HOW ALAN WAKE WAS REBUILT 3 YEARS INTO DEVELOPMENT

 * HOW PRINCE OF PERSIA DEFEATED APPLE II'S MEMORY LIMITATIONS

 * HOW CRASH BANDICOOT HACKED THE ORIGINAL PLAYSTATION

 * MYST: THE CHALLENGES OF CD-ROM | WAR STORIES

 * MARKIPLIER REACTS TO HIS TOP 1000 YOUTUBE COMMENTS

 * HOW MIND CONTROL SAVED ODDWORLD: ABE'S ODDYSEE

 * BIOWARE ANSWERS UNSOLVED MYSTERIES OF THE MASS EFFECT UNIVERSE

 * CIVILIZATION: IT'S GOOD TO TAKE TURNS | WAR STORIES

 * SITREP: DOD RESETS BALLISTIC MISSILE INTERCEPTOR PROGRAM

 * WARFRAME'S REBECCA FORD REVIEWS YOUR CHARACTERS

 * SUBNAUTICA: A WORLD WITHOUT GUNS | WAR STORIES

 * HOW SLAY THE SPIRE’S ORIGINAL INTERFACE ALMOST KILLED THE GAME | WAR STORIES

 * AMNESIA: THE DARK DESCENT - THE HORROR FACADE | WAR STORIES

 * COMMAND & CONQUER: TIBERIAN SUN | WAR STORIES

 * BLADE RUNNER: SKINJOBS, VOXELS, AND FUTURE NOIR | WAR STORIES

 * DEAD SPACE: THE DRAG TENTACLE | WAR STORIES

 * TEACH THE CONTROVERSY: FLAT EARTHERS

 * DELTA V: THE BURGEONING WORLD OF SMALL ROCKETS, PAUL ALLEN'S HUGE PLANE, AND
   SPACEX GETS A CRUCIAL GREEN-LIGHT

 * CHRIS HADFIELD EXPLAINS HIS 'SPACE ODDITY' VIDEO

 * THE GREATEST LEAP, EPISODE 1: RISK

 * ULTIMA ONLINE: THE VIRTUAL ECOLOGY | WAR STORIES

More videos
← Previous story Next story →


RELATED STORIES

by Taboolaby Taboola
Sponsored LinksSponsored Links

42-year-old man changed drastically in a few months! THIS at Watsons too
effectiveBody Design News


Undo

Open an account today!Interactive Brokers


Undo

A woman in her 40s drank "Ceramide" and her skin became…URUHIME MOMOKO


Undo

Watsons-bought "Japan's hair growth gel" worked so wellHair’s Rich


Undo

Top 10 Most Beautiful Women In The World.Baseptic


Undo

Doctor diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer learns lessons on death, dying
and compassionToday online


Undo




TODAY ON ARS

 * Store
 * Subscribe
 * About Us
 * RSS Feeds
 * View Mobile Site

 * Contact Us
 * Staff
 * Advertise with us
 * Reprints


NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Join the Ars Orbital Transmission mailing list to get weekly updates delivered
to your inbox. Sign me up →



CNMN Collection
WIRED Media Group
© 2024 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Use of and/or registration on any
portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated
1/1/20) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated 1/1/20) and Ars
Technica Addendum (effective 8/21/2018). Ars may earn compensation on sales from
links on this site. Read our affiliate link policy.
Your California Privacy Rights | Cookies Settings
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted,
cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé
Nast.
Ad Choices