Google has expanded its voluntary employee buyout programme to five countries as the technology giant looks to rein in costs amid heavy investments in artificial intelligence (AI). The company began offering voluntary exit packages to some employees in Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland in June this year.The move comes as Google’s parent company Alphabet continues to increase spending on AI infrastructure and capabilities, even as the growing cost of the technology raises concerns among investors. The company is also looking to shift resources towards business areas it considers strategic priorities, particularly AI and cloud computing. What is your take AI and employment ?

