Youtube Podcast Mike is seen at Variety Podcasting Brunch Presented By YouTube held at the Austin Proper Hotel in Austin, Texas on March 8, 2025.
Matt Hayward Variety | Getty Images
YouTube is offering a voluntary buyout with severance benefits to its U.S.-based employees as it restructures its product organization to focus more on artificial intelligence.
This movement looks like this google CEO Sundar Pichai is encouraging employees to leverage AI across the company to improve productivity.
YouTube CEO Neil Mohan said in an internal memo to staff that the platform is restructuring its product teams for the first time in 10 years.
“As we look to the future, the next frontier for YouTube is AI,” a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. The acquisition was first reported by Sources’ Alex Heath.
YouTube said no roles will be removed as part of the changes.
Under the new structure, three product groups will report directly to Mohan.
Christian Oestlien, previously vice president of product management, will now lead the subscription products division, which includes YouTube Music and Premium, YouTube TV, Primetime Channels, Podcasts, and commerce.
Chief Product Officer Johanna Voolich will lead the Audience Products team responsible for YouTube’s main app, Living Room, Search and Discovery, YouTube Kids, Learning, and Trust and Safety.
Companies across the technology industry are restructuring their workforces to adapt to rapid advances in AI, while also considering other challenges such as rising costs from tariffs. Amazon on Tuesday announced plans to lay off about 14,000 employees as it invests in AI.
Attention: Amazon announces layoffs
