Facebook’s parent company, Meta, is cutting about 600 jobs in its Artificial Intelligence (AI) division as part of efforts to streamline operations following an aggressive hiring spree, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and other US media outlets.
The job cuts, however, will not affect Meta’s TBD Lab, the elite research operation established by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, which rapidly expanded by hiring top AI talent from rivals such as OpenAI and Apple with lucrative compensation packages.
Instead, the layoffs will impact teams focused on AI products and infrastructure, with the company aiming to improve operational efficiency while maintaining momentum on its most ambitious AI projects, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The report noted that some of the affected employees may be reassigned to other roles within Meta.
The New York Times described the cuts as an attempt to address “organizational bloat” after Meta’s heavy hiring drive to build up its AI program over the past two years.
Both newspapers cited an internal memo from Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, stating that the restructuring would make decision-making faster and more effective.
“Fewer conversations will be required to make a decision,” Wang reportedly said in the memo.
Meta has yet to respond to media inquiries, including a request for comment from AFP.
The move reflects Zuckerberg’s broader ‘year of efficiency’ strategy, aimed at reducing bureaucracy and focusing resources on high-impact projects such as generative AI, the metaverse, and next-generation computing infrastructure.
