Amazon lays off hundreds of employees in Alexa voice assistant unit

In a strategic move, Amazon revealed on Friday its decision to lay off “hundreds of employees” within its Alexa voice assistant unit. The company attributed the workforce reduction to a reevaluation of business priorities, emphasizing a heightened commitment to generative artificial intelligence.

Daniel Rausch, the vice president of Alexa and Fire TV, conveyed in an email that the reshuffling of efforts aims to align more closely with customer needs while optimizing resources for the advancement of generative AI.

“We’re shifting some of our efforts to better align with our business priorities, and what we know matters most to customers – which includes maximizing our resources and efforts focused on generative AI,” Daniel Rausch, vice president of Alexa and Fire TV, said in the email. “These shifts are leading us to discontinue some initiatives.”

Acknowledging the impact on several hundred staff members dedicated to Alexa, Rausch clarified that the shifts in focus necessitated the discontinuation of certain initiatives. As Amazon recalibrates its technological trajectory, the layoffs underscore a strategic realignment geared toward innovation and evolving market demands.