Google Cloud

Google has laid off over 100 design team employees, primarily within Google Cloud’s user experience research and platform services groups. This reduction aligns with Google’s strategic shift to prioritize AI investments amid increasing competition from companies like Microsoft. The layoffs, impacting U.S.-based roles, follow previous cost-cutting measures and a streamlining of Google’s organizational structure. It suggests a leaner, potentially AI-driven design approach as Google focuses on efficiency and data-driven design. This move reflects a broader industry trend of workforce reductions and resource realignment towards AI and emerging technologies.

Google Cloud’s CEO Thomas Kurian says the division is already profiting significantly from AI investments. At a recent conference, Kurian outlined monetization strategies including consumption-based pricing for AI infrastructure (GPUs, TPUs, models via “tokens”) and subscription models for services like cybersecurity and Google Workspace. Upselling to higher-priced AI tiers also contributes to revenue growth. Google Cloud’s customer commitment backlog is at $106 billion, and it secured a $10 billion cloud contract with Meta. Cloud revenue grew 32% year-over-year in the latest quarter.

At Google Singapore, Google Cloud’s Mark Johnston highlighted the ongoing struggle for cybersecurity defenders. He revealed that 69% of APAC breaches are detected by external parties, underscoring detection weaknesses. Google Cloud is leveraging AI to improve defenses, but acknowledges AI also empowers attackers. Initiatives like Project Zero’s “Big Sleep” use AI for vulnerability discovery. While promising, AI automation introduces risks and requires human oversight. Budget constraints and the need for partners offering scalable solutions pose challenges for CISOs. Post-quantum cryptography deployment is underway.

At Security Summit 2025, Google Cloud outlined its AI-powered vision for proactive security. Key announcements include AI Protection enhancements within Security Command Center for AI agent discovery and threat protection (like prompt injection). The vision extends to an “agentic SOC” with AI agents assisting in threat management and alert investigation. Google Security Operations receives AI-driven capabilities (Gemini AI), unified dashboards, and upgrades to the Trusted Cloud, focusing on compliance, smarter access control, and expanded data/network security for AI. The goal: secure innovation through AI-embedded security.