Google Culling the Crown Jewel - Search! AI Impact Big Time (Patreon)

Google just offered buyouts to Search Employees! Search is the crown Jewel of Google and it is as if they are winding it down. At least 20,000 people work here. They realized that few tech savvy people use Google these days. I do not.

Google search is dropping precipitously. Tech savvy Internet users don't use Google. Nobody in my network uses Google. Nobody. Global Market Share: According to StatCounter, Google’s global search market share fell below 90% in the final three months of 2024, a significant drop from its peak of 93.11% in May. In the U.S., it dropped to 87.39% in December 2024, down from 90.37% in November.

Desktop Search is worse fell below 80% (79.35% in April 2025 per StatCounter). In Europe, it dropped from 87.08% in May 2023 to 77.78% by early 2025.

These buyouts are part of a "Voluntary Exit Program" (VEP) targeting U.S.-based employees across multiple divisions, including K&I, central engineering, marketing, research, and communications. The program offers severance packages (at least 14 weeks of salary plus additional weeks based on tenure) to employees who opt to leave.

Google is going full bore into an AI-focused future.

The post claims that remote workers living within 50 miles of a Google office are being forced to return to the office! This will upset many who have enjoyed the last 5+ years working from home!

The BRUTAL NOTE?

"If you don’t feel aligned… this is your exit path"