GE will lay off researchers

General Electric is laying off researchers at its Global Research Center in Niskayuna, N.Y., and elsewhere as it refocuses R&D on its digital businesses. The company won’t disclose how many employees it is axing—a report in a local paper put the number as high as 160—or the areas in which they work. “We are limiting research that is not central to GE’s strategy and investing in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and machine learning,” the company says, adding that “chemistry will continue to be part of our research mix.” GE sold its most chemistry-intensive business, GE Plastics, to Saudi Basic Industries in 2007.