Why Is Meta Cutting Jobs in Its AI Division?
Even as Meta pours billions into AI, layoffs still seem inevitable.
The layoffs sweeping through tech this year have been relentless. More than 61,000 workers were let go in the first quarter of 2025 alone, making it one of the toughest starts to a year since the pandemic. And as companies pour more money into AI, they’re also cutting back on the people building it.
Meta is the latest to make that shift. It says it’s cutting about 600 roles across its AI division in what it describes as a reorganization, not a layoff.
The changes affect parts of Meta’s research arm, FAIR, along with sections of its product and infrastructure teams. The newer Superintelligence Lab remains untouched, a clear sign of where the company’s priorities lie. In an internal memo, Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wan said smaller teams would mean faster decisions, fewer handoffs, and more ownership.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
This move didn’t come out of nowhere. In August, Meta paused AI hiring after a wave of new recruits, signaling a shift from rapid expansion to consolidation. The latest shake-up shows the company is now concentrating its talent around a few core projects and cutting back on teams that no longer align with those goals.
It says affected staff will remain on payroll until November 21, receiving 16 weeks of severance plus two extra weeks for each year worked. Many are being encouraged to apply for new roles internally, suggesting this is more redeployment than pure termination.
Meta’s move isn’t an outlier, though. Microsoft has cut about 9,000 jobs (~4% of its workforce) this year. Alphabet has done voluntary buyouts and scaled down teams. The industry’s story is the same everywhere—leaner head-counts, heavier investment in AI, and a slower pace for long-term research.
Inside Meta, reactions are mixed. Some welcome the leaner setup as a way to move faster. Others worry that by tightening focus, Meta could lose the exploratory research that once defined its edge.
On the product front, if this reorganization actually shaves bureaucracy, will we see quicker rollouts or iterations?
Either way, the message is clear: the next phase of AI at Meta isn’t about hiring more people, it’s about doing more with fewer.
Emmanuel Oyedeji
