Meta Lays Off Hundreds of AI Workers

Meta is laying off around 600 workers from its artificial intelligence division. Chief AI officer Alexandr Wang told employees the cuts will affect teams working on AI products, infrastructure, and long-term research, according to an internal memo seen by the Wall Street Journal. He said the cuts won't impact the company's secretive TBD Lab, which houses most of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's recent high-profile AI hires. The company confirmed the cuts on Wednesday, the AP reports.

Wang said the move is intended to make the team more nimble, with "fewer conversations" needed for decision-making and individual employees taking on larger roles. He emphasized that the broader Meta Superintelligence Labs structure remains unchanged and that the company still plans to hire what it calls "AI-native" talent. Axios reports that Meta is encouraging the laid-off AI workers to apply for other Meta jobs. "This is a talented group of individuals, and we need their skills in other parts of the company," Wang said. The Journal reports that Meta has been on a "crusade" to stay competitive in AI following the tepid response to the ChatGPT rival it launched in April.