YouTube CEO Neal Mohan announces major organisational changes, offers buyout options to employees

Youtube

YouTube is offering voluntary buyouts with severance to its U.S.-based employees as part of a major restructuring aimed at bringing artificial intelligence to the center of its business. The company says the move is meant to reshape how its product teams work, not to cut jobs.

In an internal memo to staff, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan explained that the company is reorganizing its product organization for the first time in ten years. The goal, he said, is to prepare YouTube for the next phase of innovation driven by AI. “Looking to the future, the next frontier for YouTube is AI,” a company spokesperson told CNBC.

The restructuring comes as Google CEO Sundar Pichai has been urging teams across the company to use AI more effectively to boost productivity and innovation. While YouTube emphasized that no roles are being eliminated, the voluntary buyouts suggest a broader effort to streamline operations as AI takes a more central role.

Under the new structure, three main product groups will report directly to Mohan. Christian Oestlien, who previously served as vice president of product management, will lead the subscription products division, overseeing YouTube Music, YouTube Premium, YouTube TV, Primetime Channels, Podcasts, and Commerce. Chief Product Officer Johanna Voolich will lead the viewer products team, which handles YouTube’s main app, Living Room, Search and Discovery, YouTube Kids, Learning, and Trust and Safety.

The changes reflect YouTube’s plan to evolve with the growing influence of AI in how content is created, discovered, and consumed. Across the tech industry, companies are making similar moves to adapt to the AI shift. On Tuesday, Amazon announced plans to lay off about 14,000 corporate employees as part of its own restructuring and investment in AI initiatives.

For YouTube, the latest shake-up marks a significant turning point — one that signals how deeply AI is now shaping the future of online video and digital platforms.