Meta. Photo/courtesy.
Facebook parent company Meta has launched a major round of layoffs affecting nearly 10 percent of its global workforce as the pressure for tech companies to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) rises.
The layoffs, which began this week, are expected to affect about 8,000 employees across multiple departments. According to reports, the cuts are being carried out in phases, with workers receiving notifications starting as early as 4am in their local time zones.
Teams already affected include Meta’s integrity division responsible for moderating harmful content and hate speech, alongside cybersecurity and content design units. The restructuring comes as the company redirects more resources toward AI-focused operations and automation.
Employees based in the United States will reportedly receive 16 weeks of severance pay, plus an additional two weeks for every year worked at the company.
At the same time, Meta has frozen plans to hire nearly 6,000 new workers and is shifting another 7,000 employees into AI-related roles. The move reflects CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s long-term strategy of positioning Meta as a leader in the AI race.
However, the transition is creating growing anxiety inside the company. Reports from US media indicate morale among employees has sharply declined, particularly after Meta introduced internal AI data tracking initiatives aimed at training its own AI models.
More than 1,500 employees reportedly signed an internal petition opposing the collection of worker data for AI training purposes. Some employees also expressed fears that the very AI systems they are helping build could eventually replace human jobs within the company.
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Concerns have also emerged over reduced compensation packages and cuts to annual salary increases. According to reports, median total employee compensation at Meta has dropped by nearly $30,000.
Despite the layoffs, Meta continues to spend heavily on AI infrastructure and development. The company’s projected capital expenditure for the year is expected to reach between $125 billion and $145 billion, more than double its spending levels from 2025.
The investment is largely tied to Meta’s growing AI ambitions, including its Superintelligence initiative and broader efforts to compete with rivals such as OpenAI, Google and Microsoft.
Meta’s restructuring also mirrors a wider trend across the global technology sector where companies are increasingly using AI to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs. A recent Goldman Sachs survey found that AI-driven restructuring has resulted in more than 16,000 job cuts every month this year alone.
Networking giant Cisco recently announced plans to cut about 4,000 jobs as part of its own AI-centered restructuring strategy.
