Bengaluru: Google is implementing certain cutbacks in the responsibilities entrusted to Accenture and Cognizant to facilitate support for YouTube services. According to reports, Accenture’s yearly investment in Google exceeds $1 billion, while Cognizant’s investment reaches $850 million. These substantial sums illustrate the significant role both Accenture and Cognizant play in supporting Google’s endeavors.. A significant part of Cognizant’s contributions to Google lies in the BPM space. The impact of YouTube’s decision on the number of Cognizant employees involved remains uncertain. Business Insider India cited sources suggesting that approximately 120-150 workers at Accenture might be affected. However, both Accenture and Cognizant refrained from providing details on the scale and engagement they have with Google.
In response to TOI’s questions, Accenture explained, “From time to time, we adjust our workforce on ongoing projects to meet the needs of our clients.
Cognizant communicated to TOI that, being a professional services firm, the downsizing, and escalation of projects are customary incidents in their collaboration with clients. “We have indeed experienced a scaling down in our YouTube TV venture; notwithstanding the conclusion of this particular project, the individuals impacted by this transition continue to be esteemed members of the Cognizant workforce,” the company stated.
Several social media platforms are cutting down their spending with third-party IT companies, partly due to business decisions and partly to minimize their reliance on contract workers. Additionally, some contract workers involved in content moderation have reported developing PTSD-like symptoms due to the nature of their work in flagging harmful content.
Last year, news agency AP reported that Twitter reduced its reliance on outsourced content moderators. A few years back, Cognizant withdrew from the content moderation business it conducted for Meta, leading to the dismissal of 6,000 employees. This exit from content moderation resulted in a revenue loss of $240-$270 million on an annualized basis in Cognizant’s communications, media, and technology (CMT) segment.
Melissa O’Brien, the esteemed executive research leader and head of research operations at HFS Research, asserted that Cognizant proclaimed its withdrawal from the content moderation arena in 2019, citing unfavorable publicity regarding the working conditions. However, Accenture continues to operate in this market. O’Brien pointed out that many firms in the CX/contact center segment have seized the opportunity opened up by Cognizant’s departure, capitalizing on the tremendous demand for content moderation services in line with the surging user-generated content. Providers such as Teleperformance, Alorica, Tech Mahindra, Telus International, and TaskUs have gained significant prominence in this area.
O’Brien emphasized that this has been a lucrative space for these firms, and with the proliferation of ChatGPT, even more opportunities may arise. She noted that these companies are well-suited to content moderation work, given their strong emphasis on culture, training, and employee well-being. Moreover, the most significant change to watch for is centered around automation and the promise of eventual AI capabilities that can assist human moderators in dealing with challenging content.