YouTube is reshaping its workforce as it deepens its investment in artificial intelligence — offering U.S.-based employees voluntary buyouts amid the platform’s first major reorganization of its product teams in a decade.

In an internal memo obtained by THR, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said the company is restructuring to “move faster and think bigger” around AI initiatives — aligning with Google parent Alphabet’s broader push to integrate artificial intelligence across every product line.

“Looking to the future, the next frontier for YouTube is AI,” a company spokesperson confirmed, adding that no current roles are being eliminated as part of the shake-up. The company launched its voluntary exit program to allow employees to “consider their options” as responsibilities shift within the restructured divisions.

The move marks YouTube’s most significant product team overhaul since 2015, reflecting a wider Silicon Valley trend: massive legacy platforms betting on AI to reshape how people discover, create, and consume media.

Under the new structure, Mohan will oversee three core divisions. Christian Oestlien will lead the subscription products group — including YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, Primetime Channels, Podcasts, and Commerce — while Chief Product Officer Johanna Voolich will head the viewer products division, which encompasses the main app, Living Room, Search and Discovery, YouTube Kids, Learning, and Trust and Safety.

The reorganization comes as YouTube expands its AI-powered video and music tools, including a pilot program limiting deepfakes and likeness cloning, while also exploring creator-focused AI applications.

The announcement follows a wave of tech-sector contractions as companies streamline for AI-era agility. Amazon confirmed last week it will cut up to 14,000 corporate jobs while reorganizing its People Experience and Technology division — with senior VP Beth Galetti calling AI “the most transformative technology since the internet.”

For YouTube, which turns 20 next year, the pivot is as much about cultural relevance as it is about efficiency. The platform continues to dominate online video but faces mounting competition from short-form rivals like TikTok and AI-native platforms capable of generating or curating content autonomously.

Mohan, who succeeded longtime CEO Susan Wojcicki in 2023, has positioned AI as the company’s next creative engine, saying YouTube’s goal is to “empower creators, not replace them.”

Still, the buyout program and reorganization underscore the industry’s new reality: the streaming era’s most powerful platforms are now rebuilding themselves — this time, for the age of AI.