Meta is undertaking a major restructuring driven by advances in artificial intelligence (AI). This week the company will lay off roughly 8,000 employees and reassign about 7,000 more to different internal units.
According to Reuters and The New York Times, Janelle Gale, Meta’s head of human resources, informed staff that approximately 7,000 employees will be moved into four new organizations. Those units will focus on developing new AI tools and applications; Gale reportedly argued the reorganization will make the company more productive and work more rewarding.
Gale told employees the new groups will use AI-driven planning structures and will require fewer managers. Staff were asked to work from home on Wednesday, May 20, and to await a Meta email about potential new roles; some employees have already been reassigned. The company will also notify those who will be laid off that day.
Meta announced at the end of April the planned 8,000 layoffs and said it had frozen about 6,000 job postings. Reuters reports the company expects to conduct further reductions later this year; affected employees will receive 16 weeks of severance pay plus two additional weeks for each year of service.
Numbers and context
- By the end of 2025 Meta had about 78,000 employees; the 8,000 layoffs represent roughly 10 percent of current positions.
- Mark Zuckerberg previously told investors the company plans to spend between $115 billion and $135 billion this year, primarily on AI development.
Why this matters
Many technology companies have been cutting jobs to free up money for investment in AI. Meta plans large-scale investments in data centers and has discussed powering those facilities with nuclear energy and space-based solar farms.
The announced measures will reshape Meta’s internal structure and workflows: the emphasis shifts toward AI-centric development, managerial layers will be reduced, and substantial workforce adjustments will be carried out.
