Google is again in the headlines for laying off over 200 contractors responsible for reviewing and refining Google’s artificial intelligence products last month, as per workers who spoke to WIRED. These job cuts took place in at least two rounds and have raised concerns of retaliation against employees who had been pushing for higher wages and better working conditions.
These staff were employed by GlobalLogic, a Hitachi-owned outsourcing firm, as well as other contractors supplying human evaluators for Google’s AI tools, including its Gemini chatbot and AI Overviews in Search. Much similar to social media content moderators, these raters reviewed AI generated outputs, corrected answers and ensured the system produced safe and accurate responses.
As Google’s generative AI initiatives expanded in 2023, GlobalLogic began assembling a team. Despite having advanced degrees and qualifications, many workers described their jobs as low-paying, unstable, and unsatisfactory. Pay disparities were also mentioned in the reports, with some employees earning $28-32 per hour and others earning $18-22 for the same position while working for subcontractors. According to several contractors, GlobalLogic has been hiring new employees while implementing layoffs and developing AI models to replace them.
The workers, as per the WIRED, suspected that the cuts are tied to organising efforts. Previously, some contractors began discussions with the Alphabet Workers Union, citing low pay and job insecurity.
Membership reportedly grew from under 20 in late 2024 to around 60 by early 2025. As organizing picked up, GlobalLogic allegedly restricted access to internal communication platforms where pay equity was being discussed. At least one organizer who continued raising concerns was later dismissed for “policy violations,” a decision he argues was linked to union activity. Two contractors have since filed complaints with the US National Labor Relations Board.
Google said the affected workers were not its employees and that GlobalLogic and subcontractors are responsible for their conditions, the report added.