Just when it seemed like the wave of layoffs at Google had passed — including the 12,000 job cuts in January 2023 — the company is now offering a buyout program across several teams. This includes people in Search, Ads, Knowledge & Information, Central Engineering, Marketing, Research, and Communications, according to reports from CNBC and The Information.

What makes this surprising is that Google CEO Sundar Pichai just said in a Bloomberg interview last week that Google plans to grow its engineering team in the coming year. But with the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, which some say could threaten Google’s search business (though Google denies this), and growing AI spending costs (as reported by the Wall Street Journal), this move may be a way for Google to free up resources.

A memo from Google’s leadership said:

“If you’re excited about your work, energized by the opportunity ahead, and performing well, I really (really!) hope you don’t take this! … On the other hand, this VEP offers a supportive exit path for those of you who don’t feel aligned with our strategy, don’t feel energized by your work, or are having difficulty meeting the expectations of your role.”

Google also confirmed that teams are being asked to return to offices if they live within 50 miles of one — these employees will need to follow a hybrid work schedule to boost in-person collaboration.

It’s unclear how many jobs Google is hoping to reduce. The company reported 185,719 employees in its last earnings report, about 5,000 more than the year before.

There’s also a forum discussion on X.