Meta lays off 8,000 employees, as AI casualties mount

Meta informed employees of layoffs tied to its AI-first transformation. In April, 8,000 employees, about 10% of the workforce, were told they would be laid off on May 20. On Monday, another 7,000 employees were reassigned to new AI initiatives. On Wednesday, layoffs began with emails sent at 4 a.m. in Singapore, followed by notifications in Britain, the United States, and other time zones. The layoffs reflect broader industry moves, including Cisco, Microsoft, Block, and Coinbase. Meta’s AI push includes plans for “superintelligence” and a projected $125 billion to $145 billion spend this year, much of it for AI. Employees reported anger and anxiety amid strong financial results and questions about the need for cuts.

"In April, they were told that 8,000 of them, or 10% of the workforce, would be laid off on May 20 as Meta remade itself for the artificial intelligence era. On Monday, they learned that another 7,000 employees would be reassigned to new AI initiatives. On Wednesday, the ax fell. The layoffs began in Singapore, where at 4 a.m. local time emails went out to workers who were being laid off. Employees in Britain, the United States and elsewhere were notified early Wednesday morning in their respective time zones."

"Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been vocal about staking his company on AI. He has said he wants to create "superintelligence," an advanced AI that can act as the ultimate personal assistant. Last month, Meta said it would spend between $125 billion and $145 billion - more than double what it spent in 2025 - this year, much of it on AI. But the company's transformation from a social networking firm to an AI-first entity has been far from smooth."

"Employees have said the embrace of AI has led to anger and anxiety across Meta's 78,000 person workforce, according to 13 current and former employees. The frustration was heightened by Meta's strong financial performance, with the company reporting record revenue last month, leading to questions about why job cuts were needed. Business Employees have signed petitions against being tracked by AI and were trying to figure out who had been let go on Wednesday, as the Silicon Valley giant tries to transform into an AI-first company."

Read at Boston.com