Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Not even Google's cleaning robots are safe from the tech industry's layoffs and cost-cutting efforts

Not even Google's cleaning robots are safe from the tech industry's layoffs and cost-cutting efforts

Google is shutting down Everyday Robots, a subsidiary that made robots that could perform simple tasks like cleaning the company's campus.

The recent string of layoffs hitting the tech industry is now stretching beyond just humans — it's also impacting robots.

Google is reportedly shutting down a company that created and trained dozens of robots that performed simple tasks at the company's headquarters. Everyday Robots — which was formed within X, the "moonshot program" of Google's parent company Alphabet — is being shuttered as a cost-cutting measure, according to Wired.

The company developed over 100 robots trained to perform tasks like cleaning cafeteria tables and separating trash and recyclables. The robots were also programmed to open doors and replace missing chairs in offices through a variety of teaching techniques, Chief Robot Officer Hans Peter Brandom wrote in a November 2021 update.

Everyday Robots' original goal was to create a "general purpose" robot that can perform a wide variety of tasks in many different environments, according to the X website. The robots use cameras and machine learning to evaluate their environment, and position their arm to clean and perform simple tasks.

According to Wired's conversations with ex-Everyday Robots employees, the decision to shut down Everyday Robots was made as part of the wider cost-cutting initiatives Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced last month, including laying off 12,000 employees.

Everyday Robots and Google did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, however a spokesperson told Wired it will no longer be a separate project within Alphabet, but an unspecified amount of staff and technology will be retained within Google's existing robotics programs.

The robots also had language models like the technology behind ChatGPT incorporated into its abilities so it could understand verbal commands, and perform tasks like taking snack requests for hungry employees or understanding when someone asked for help cleaning a spill.


Many of Everyday Robots' over 200 staff members were unsure if their primary goal was developing new technology or creating a robot that would be commercialized for consumers, per Wired.

"It's unfortunate to see it shut down," one former employee told Wired. "We are starting to see that robots can do meaningful work in a general way. I don't think it's a sign of a lack of progress. With the right focus, in five years you could have a meaningful product in the market."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
China Criticizes US for Vetoing UN Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza
Saudi Arabia ranks first in UN index for e-government services in MENA
Israel Records 20% Drop In GDP, War In Gaza Is The Reason
Saudi Arabia's FDI Inflows Grow with New International Standards
Venture Capitals Power Up Across MENA Region
PM Modi Announces Opening Of New CBSE Office In Dubai
January Funding for MENA Startups Totals $86.5 Million
Saudi Arabia accelerates digital economy growth through Nvidia partnership
Israel unveils tunnels underneath Gaza City headquarters of UN agency for Palestinian refugees
Israel deploys new military AI in Gaza war
Egypt threatens to suspend key peace treaty if Israel pushes into Gaza border town, officials say
Saudi Arabia Warns Of A "Humanitarian Catastrophe" If Israel Moves On Rafah
US University To Shut Qatar Campus Due To "Heightened Mideast Instability"
Facebook and Instagram Ban Iran's Supreme Leader
Defense Technology Showcase Held in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports rise 2.5% to $6bn in November 2023: GASTAT
Rolls-Royce Executive Encourages Saudi Women to Tap into Their Inner 'Superhero' for Success in Defense Industry
Saudi Arabia launches National Academy of Vehicles and Cars
Saudi Tourism Minister Reveals Plan for 250,000 New Hotel Rooms by 2030
SAR to more than double eastern network passenger capacity with new trains deal
Saudi Arabia Enhances National Defense with New Partnerships
Saudi Aramco Maintains Arab Light Crude Pricing to Asia for March
NEOM Establishes New York Office to Support Investors
Saudi Wealth Fund Draws in Over $25 Billion Worth of Investments in Three Years, Al-Rumayyan Reveals
The Saudi Kingdom's Ultimatum to Israel: A Win-Win Peace with Saudi Arabia and the Arab World, or a Lose-Lose Continued Occupation and Endless Conflict
Biden condemns anti-Arab hate after WSJ opinion piece calls Dearborn ‘jihad capital’
Turkey Releases Seven Hostages Captured by Pro-Gaza Gunman
Arab Parliament Commends Women's Contributions to Societal Development
British and Hungarian Foreign Ministers visited Lebanese leaders to stress the importance of enacting UN Resolution 1701
Yemen's Houthis Say They Targeted British Merchant Vessel In Red Sea
Donald Trump Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for 'Historic' Middle East Policy
US lawmakers approve F-16 jet sale to Turkey following NATO expansion support
Saudi Arabia Climbs 25 Places in World Bank's National Statistics Indicator
Tourism Growth in Saudi Arabia Fuels Advancements in the Hospitality Industry," Says Rotana Official
Houthi Rebels Request Departure of UN Staff from Yemen, Including US and UK Personnel, within a Month
Modi Inaugurates Hindu Temple on Site of Demolished Mosque in India
Over 25,000 Deaths in Gaza Amid Israeli Offensive
Escalating Clashes in Gaza as Israel Distributes Leaflets to Assist in Locating Hostages
Turkey's First Astronaut Set to Launch for International Space Station Today
Head of Palestinian Investment Fund Warns More People May Die of Hunger Than War in Gaza
Palestinian Envoy Criticizes UK for Alleged 'Double Standards' in Policies Toward Israel
Morocco to Lead UN Human Rights Council in 2024
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Egypt has been identified as the leading military force among Arab nations and ranks 15th globally
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Receives Additional Prison Sentence
"Gazans Urge Israeli Forces to Target Hamas in Leaked Audio"
Biden States US and UK Airstrikes on Houthis Were a 'Defensive Action
Large Pro-Palestine Rally in London as Gaza Conflict Hits Day 100
South Africa Urges World Court to Halt Israeli Actions in Gaza
×