Meta has begun a sweeping round of layoffs affecting roughly 8,000 employees, representing nearly 10% of its workforce, as the company accelerates its shift toward artificial intelligence initiatives.
Before the layoffs were announced, employees in several regions were instructed to work remotely, leading to an unusually quiet atmosphere across offices. Soon after, termination emails began arriving in waves during the early hours of the morning.
The restructuring is part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broader strategy to prioritize AI development across the company. Alongside the job cuts, Meta is also reassigning approximately 7,000 employees into AI-focused roles tied to infrastructure and advanced internal AI systems.
Internal communications reportedly described the restructuring as an effort to flatten management layers and create smaller, faster-moving teams. Employees impacted by the layoffs are expected to receive severance packages that include multiple weeks of base pay and extended healthcare benefits.
The move comes as Meta dramatically increases spending on AI, with projected investments reaching well over $100 billion this year. The company has framed the overhaul as necessary to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving AI race alongside rivals such as OpenAI and Google.