Google increases pressure on employees to adopt AI: Report

Google is intensifying its push for employees to use artificial intelligence tools across the company, expanding expectations beyond software engineers to include sales, strategy and other non-technical teams.

Managers in recent weeks have told some non-technical employees that they are expected to incorporate AI into their daily workflows, four staff members familiar with the discussions told Business Insider. In some cases, employees were informed that their use of AI would factor into performance reviews later this year.

The shift marks a broader cultural move to embed AI into core job expectations at one of the world’s largest technology companies. Business Insider previously reported that Google had formally added AI usage to the job requirements of certain software engineers. The Wall Street Journal has also reported that some engineering roles would be graded on AI adoption.

Now, that pressure appears to be widening.

According to Business Insider, non-technical staff have been encouraged to use AI tools to draft strategy documents, analyse sales calls and generate customer insights. Two employees in sales roles said they were expected to use internal AI systems that record calls and automatically take notes. Some were given informal quotas for weekly usage, they said.

In certain teams, expectations are being written into employees’ formal role profiles. Two non-technical workers told Business Insider they were explicitly informed that AI use would be considered during Google’s internal performance assessment process, known as Googler Reviews and Development (GRAD). One employee said more senior staff were expected to demonstrate deeper AI fluency than junior colleagues.

A Google spokesperson told Business Insider that managers across both technical and non-technical functions have discretion to evaluate employees based on their use of AI.

Chief executive Sundar Pichai has repeatedly signalled that AI adoption is a strategic priority. He told staff last year that rivals were harnessing AI internally and that Google needed to do the same to remain competitive.

The company has been steadily increasing its internal reliance on AI. On its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call, chief financial officer Anat Ashkenazi said around 50% of Google’s code is now generated by AI agents and then reviewed by engineers. In April, Pichai had placed the figure at more than 30%, indicating rapid growth.

Engineers are encouraged to use AI coding assistants capable of generating code and answering technical queries. Other employees rely on internal tools such as a customised version of Google’s Gemini chatbot, trained on company documentation, and a coding assistant known internally as Goose, according to prior reporting by Business Insider.

Google restricts staff to approved internal AI systems, partly to safeguard sensitive corporate information. Some tools are adapted from third-party software for internal use. For example, Cloud sales teams use an AI avatar tool called Yoodli to rehearse pitches before client calls, Business Insider reported.

Google is not alone in tightening AI expectations. Business Insider has reported that Meta plans to assess employees on their “AI-driven impact” in 2026 performance reviews, while Microsoft executives have told staff that AI use is no longer optional.

The message across Silicon Valley is clear: AI fluency is fast becoming a baseline requirement rather than a specialist skill.

For Google, the challenge will be balancing productivity gains with employee concerns about oversight and shifting performance standards — particularly as AI tools move from optional productivity aids to formal measures of effectiveness.