200+ Google AI Contractors Laid Off and Fears They’re Being Replaced by the Very AI They Helped Build

Over 200 contract workers helping Google improve its AI systems were laid off recently, according to Wired. These workers, hired through GlobalLogic, rated and edited AI responses from tools like Gemini and AI Overviews to make them more accurate.

The sudden cuts came with little warning, and many workers worry their efforts are being used to train AI models that could replace their own jobs. Some had also been pushing for better pay and conditions, raising questions about whether the layoffs were linked to organizing efforts. This highlights a bigger tension in the AI industry: humans are still needed to train AI but are often the first to be replaced when AI improves Symbolic of a Larger Trend While it’s not confirmed that Google will replace all these tasks with AI, the move highlights a growing tension in the industry: Humans are still needed to guide and correct AI models, But those same humans are often treated as temporary, replaceable labor, and As AI improves, the work itself becomes more precarious. It’s a paradox: AI can’t get better without human judgment — yet the humans training it are the first to be cut. The Bigger Picture This story is just one example of a broader shift happening across tech: Companies are racing to automate everything they can, While also quietly reducing reliance on human contractors behind the scenes. It raises hard questions about what future “AI jobs” will really look like — and whether today’s AI trainers and labelers will have a place in tomorrow’s AI-powered world.