Google Tells Staff To Match Its AI Speed Or Opt For Voluntary Exit


Google is making it very clear that if you can’t keep up with the current AI sprint, it might be time to leave. The tech giant has started offering voluntary exit packages to certain employees who aren’t comfortable with the “electric” pace of the company’s new artificial intelligence strategy. This latest move targets the Global Business Organization which handles things like sales and corporate development. In an internal memo leaked this week, Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler told staff that the stakes are higher than ever. He basically said that everyone needs to be “all in” on the mission or they can take a severance check and walk away.

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This is not just a random HR update. It is a signal that Google is tired of playing it safe while rivals like OpenAI and Microsoft move at light speed. Schindler acknowledged that 2025 was a record-breaking year with Alphabet hitting $400 billion in revenue, but he warned that the “game is dynamic.” The company wants a workforce that doesn't just use AI but lives and breathes it. If an employee feels out of sync with this high-pressure environment, Google is offering them a respectful way out. Interestingly, they are excluding customer-facing sales teams from this offer to make sure they don’t mess up client relationships during the transition.

It’s the third time in a year that Google has used buyouts to reshape its teams without doing mass layoffs. Last year, they did something similar with engineering and YouTube units. Experts say this is a way for Big Tech to trim the fat and get rid of “mediocre” talent while keeping the top performers who can handle the stress. For workers, the message is blunt: adapt to the AI-first world or find a different career. It’s a cultural shift as much as a business one. Google proves that in 2026, being good at your job isn't enough—you have to be faster than the machine.