> Is anyone at Google even aware how much this hurts their brand? yes, of course. there will be outcry on eng-misc@ about it now it is in the news, and when i

> Is anyone at Google even aware how much this hurts their brand? yes, of course. there will be outcry on eng-misc@ about it now it is in the news, and when it was first suggested that Search do this, someone will have found the plan and circulated it and it will be widely understood that this will be terrible for the brand of Google Search. and then some exec will have written some nonsense email explaining how it was important as a cost saving measure and to secure "IP" for "pivot to AI" and that'll be the end of it. it's extremely weird that HN posters assume Google employees aren't aware of things happening in the world, or don't predict the very obvious consequences of VP decisions.