Meta is undergoing significant organizational changes, with plans to lay off 8,000 employees this week while simultaneously reallocating 7,000 others to newly formed divisions focused on artificial intelligence. Janelle Gale, the head of Human Resources at Meta, communicated these developments through an internal memo shared with various media outlets, emphasizing that the restructuring aims to enhance productivity and increase job satisfaction for employees.
The new teams will adopt “AI native design structures,” reducing the layers of management in a bid to streamline operations. Employees were advised to work remotely on a specific day, during which they would receive notifications regarding potential new roles or layoff statuses. This decision follows an earlier announcement in late April outlining plans to cut 8,000 jobs and close an additional 6,000 open positions as part of Meta’s strategy to run more efficiently and offset other financial investments.
This shift aligns with a broader trend in the tech industry, where numerous companies are downsizing to redirect resources toward AI advancements. Recently, Meta has curtailed its ambitions in the metaverse, which failed to gain traction as anticipated, and is now making substantial investments in AI. The firm is planning to establish data centers with a projected capacity of “tens of gigawatts” over the next decade. Additionally, it has assembled a specialized team of AI experts, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally recruiting talent for this initiative.
To support the transition, affected employees will receive a severance package totaling 16 weeks of pay, along with an extra two weeks for each year of service. As of the end of 2025, Meta had a workforce of about 78,000, meaning the layoffs will result in nearly a 10 percent reduction in its overall workforce. Reports indicate that Meta may implement further job cuts later this year as it continues to pivot toward its AI-focused future.
