Google has cancelled its contract with the Australia-listed data company Appen, which helped the Big Tech giant work on its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered products such as Bard, reported The Verge tech outlet as well as Appen. In an official announcement dated January 22, Appen noted that Google “will be terminating its global inbound services contract with Appen, resulting in the cessation of all projects with Appen by March 19, 2024.” The company said it “had no prior knowledge of Google’s decision to terminate the contract” and that its revenue from Google in the financial year 2023 was $82.8 million at a gross margin of 26%. A Google spokesperson confirmed the decision and cited a need for greater efficiency when working with suppliers and vendors, according to The Verge. The news comes as Google this month laid off hundreds of employees across its departments, such as ad sales, YouTube, and its experimental X Lab.