Amazon lays off hundreds in its Alexa division as it plows resources into AI

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon (AMZN) is cutting hundreds of jobs in the unit that handles its popular voice assistant Alexa as it plows more resources into artificial intelligence.  

In a note to employees on Friday, Daniel Rausch, Amazon’s vice president of Alexa and Fire TV, wrote that the company is eliminating certain roles because it is ditching some initiatives.  

“As we continue to invent, we’re shifting some of our efforts to better align with our business priorities, and what we know matters most to customers — which includes maximizing our resources and efforts focused on generative AI,” Rausch wrote.  

He said “several hundred” positions would be cut but did not give a more precise figure.