Google pushes staff to embrace AI to stay ahead
Instead of cutting jobs, Google is investing in AI training through its new AI Savvy Google programme to upskill its workforce.
Google is urging its workforce to adopt AI in everyday tasks instead of relying solely on traditional methods.
CEO Sundar Pichai has warned that falling behind in AI could risk the company’s competitive edge, especially as rivals like Microsoft, Amazon and Meta push their staff to embrace similar tools.
Early trials inside Google suggest a significant boost in efficiency, with engineers reporting a 10% increase in weekly productivity after adopting AI.
The company has launched a training initiative called AI Savvy Google to accelerate the shift. The programme provides courses, toolkits and hands-on sessions to help employees integrate AI into their workflows.
One of the standout tools is Cider, an AI-powered coding assistant already used by half of the engineers with access to it.
Executives believe AI will soon become an essential part of software engineering. Brian Saluzzo, a senior leader at Google, told staff that internal AI tools will continue to improve and become deeply embedded in coding work.
The company stresses the importance of using AI to support rather than replace workers, with the training programme designed to upskill employees instead of pushing them aside.
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