Who are these “everyday robots” that Google is laying off?
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2025 3:36 am
One of Alphabet's subsidiaries, Everyday Robots, has developed a robot capable of performing tasks such as cleaning a table, arranging chairs, or sorting waste.
Around a hundred of these robots were already in use in the firm's premises.
Unfortunately, Everyday Robots as an independent subsidiary of Alphabet will cease to exist.
Google is shutting down Everyday Robots, a subsidiary of Alphabet that developed robots capable of performing household tasks like cleaning tables, sorting trash, or arranging chairs. These robots are already in use in Google's offices (there are about a hundred of them). And in the long run, the technology might have held promise.
Everyday Robots was developed within Google's "X" lab before becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet. But unfortunately, that subsidiary will be shut down. More specifically, here's what Denise Gamboa, director of marketing and communications for Everyday Robots, explains, according to Wired magazine: "Everyday Robots will no longer be a separate project within Alphabet. Some of the technology and some of the team will be consolidated into existing robotics efforts within Google Research."
In 2022, Alphabet (Google's parent company) still seemed optimistic about this project. In a video, Google Research and Everyday Robots announced a collaboration to "combine the best of machine learning language models with helper robots capable of performing complex and abstract tasks such as 'cleaning up a spilled drink' ." This could have resulted in an AI capable of communicating with humans, but with a body.
Google cuts costs, robots fired?
This isn't the first time Google's parent nepal mobile database has announced the closure of a promising subsidiary. Projects that were ultimately abandoned include Loon, which aimed to connect remote areas using balloons. Those that survived include Waymo (self-driving cars) and Wing (drone delivery).
Google's futuristic projects, while impressive, aren't generating revenue. According to Wired, for example, in 2022, they are expected to generate a loss of nearly $6.1 billion. As you may already know, Google hasn't been spared by the crisis. And it, like other tech giants, is forced to cut costs and focus on its most important projects. Earlier this year, the company announced the layoff of 12,000 employees.
And other measures Google is reportedly taking to cut costs are leaking online. For example, according to a CNBC article, the company recently asked employees to share offices. "Most Googlers will now share an office with another Googler ," an internal memo reads, according to the American media outlet.
Around a hundred of these robots were already in use in the firm's premises.
Unfortunately, Everyday Robots as an independent subsidiary of Alphabet will cease to exist.
Google is shutting down Everyday Robots, a subsidiary of Alphabet that developed robots capable of performing household tasks like cleaning tables, sorting trash, or arranging chairs. These robots are already in use in Google's offices (there are about a hundred of them). And in the long run, the technology might have held promise.
Everyday Robots was developed within Google's "X" lab before becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet. But unfortunately, that subsidiary will be shut down. More specifically, here's what Denise Gamboa, director of marketing and communications for Everyday Robots, explains, according to Wired magazine: "Everyday Robots will no longer be a separate project within Alphabet. Some of the technology and some of the team will be consolidated into existing robotics efforts within Google Research."
In 2022, Alphabet (Google's parent company) still seemed optimistic about this project. In a video, Google Research and Everyday Robots announced a collaboration to "combine the best of machine learning language models with helper robots capable of performing complex and abstract tasks such as 'cleaning up a spilled drink' ." This could have resulted in an AI capable of communicating with humans, but with a body.
Google cuts costs, robots fired?
This isn't the first time Google's parent nepal mobile database has announced the closure of a promising subsidiary. Projects that were ultimately abandoned include Loon, which aimed to connect remote areas using balloons. Those that survived include Waymo (self-driving cars) and Wing (drone delivery).
Google's futuristic projects, while impressive, aren't generating revenue. According to Wired, for example, in 2022, they are expected to generate a loss of nearly $6.1 billion. As you may already know, Google hasn't been spared by the crisis. And it, like other tech giants, is forced to cut costs and focus on its most important projects. Earlier this year, the company announced the layoff of 12,000 employees.
And other measures Google is reportedly taking to cut costs are leaking online. For example, according to a CNBC article, the company recently asked employees to share offices. "Most Googlers will now share an office with another Googler ," an internal memo reads, according to the American media outlet.