Sundar Pichai Announces Restructure After Google Fires Protesting Employees: 'Too Important A Moment As A Company To Be Distracted'

Google’s GOOGL GOOG CEO, Sundar Pichai, expressed the necessity for Google to uphold its open culture while also adhering to workplace rules. His comment came after 28 Google employees were fired for protesting against the company’s cloud deal with Israel.

What Happened: Pichai emphasized the need for focus, collaboration, and respectful disagreements within the company, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.

In an email, Pichai announced a restructuring of Google’s devices and mobile software divisions, asserting that Google is not a platform for disruptive debates or political disputes.

He stated, “This is too important a moment as a company for us to be distracted.”

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Despite the claims from the dismissed employees that not all of them were directly involved in the protests, Google confirmed that all 28 were participants, as validated by video evidence. Google also clarified that none of the employees caused property damage or threatened others during the protests.

Why It Matters: This decision follows the suspension and subsequent arrest of nine workers. The employees were protesting Google’s involvement in Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion Israeli government cloud contract that also includes Amazon.

The protests took place at Google's New York and California offices. This incident has drawn criticism from venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, who highlighted the alarming state of affairs at Google and its implications for AI safety. Andreessen’s concerns echo those of Elon Musk about the potential dangers of AI.

Price Action: On Thursday, Google closed slightly lower at $155.97. It was trading 0.37% lower during the pre-market session on Friday.

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