Meta’s Workforce Adjustments in the AI Transition

In recent weeks, Meta employees have experienced uncertainty and apprehension. Last month, the company announced plans to lay off 8,000 employees, representing 10 percent of its workforce, as it repositions itself for focus on artificial intelligence. This past Monday, an additional 7,000 employees were informed they would be reassigned to new AI-related projects.

The layoffs began on Wednesday, starting in Singapore, with notifications sent to affected employees at 4 a.m. local time. Workers in Britain, the United States, and other regions received similar notifications early in their respective time zones. Many employees used remote communication to exchange messages about the situation and checked the internal directory to determine who had been let go. Within Meta’s internal forums, employees responded with salad emojis, symbolizing a salute. According to two sources familiar with the job cuts, at least one person who was recently hired was also laid off.

Meta’s offices were largely unoccupied on Wednesday. Janelle Gale, Meta’s head of human resources, advised employees to work from home earlier in the week. Fliers opposing Meta’s new initiative to track employee data for AI training were seen on office walls, according to eight employees. Some workers searched the offices for snacks and laptop chargers, fearing job loss by the week’s end, said employees who spoke anonymously due to concerns of retaliation.

An image provided to The New York Times by a Meta employee of a flyer advertising the petition.

Meta’s internal restructuring illustrates the broader trend of job cuts within tech companies due to AI advancements. Recent developments in technology have led many companies, including Meta, to refocus efforts and resources towards AI. Last week, Cisco announced it would eliminate 4,000 jobs in a similar shift towards AI-related projects. Companies like Microsoft, Block, and Coinbase have also recently declared layoffs or buyouts linked to technological transformations.