Synopsis
Google Cloud has recently implemented job cuts, impacting teams including employees in Mandiant and its Threat Intelligence Group. These layoffs are reportedly aimed at reallocating resources towards growth areas, particularly artificial intelligence. This move aligns with a broader tech industry trend of significant investment in AI and subsequent layoffs to offset this.Among the units impacted were staff at Mandiant, the cybersecurity company it acquired in 2022, and Google's Threat Intelligence Group, the report said, citing sources. The latter is one of the company's leading cybersecurity teams known for publishing research on hacking campaigns and online threats. Some affected employees have since shared news of their departures on LinkedIn.
The exact scale of the layoffs remains unclear, and Google has not disclosed how many roles were eliminated.
"We regularly evaluate our internal structures to ensure we are best positioned to meet the evolving demands of our customers and the industry," a Google spokesperson told Business Insider.
One of the sources cited by Business Insider said employees were told the cuts would help free up resources for growth areas, particularly AI.
The move follows a broader trend across the technology industry, as companies channel billions into artificial intelligence.
Last month, Meta cut around 10% of its workforce, or around 8,000 people. However, CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees that AI was not the primary reason for the layoffs. He said that while automation had made smaller teams more productive, it was not solely responsible for the job cuts.
Meanwhile, companies including Coinbase and Block have linked their recent staff reductions to increasing focus on AI.
Cybersecurity firms have not been spared either. Cloudflare announced more than 1,100 job cuts last month as it prepares for what it calls the "agentic AI era".
Google Cloud carried out a smaller round of layoffs last year, primarily affecting user experience teams.
According to Layoffs.fyi, the tech sector's layoff count in 2026 stood at 116,739 across 164 companies as of June 3.
