Meta Platforms begins layoffs affecting 8,000 employees amid AI restructuring

Meta Platforms on Wednesday began laying off nearly 8,000 employees as part of a sweeping global restructuring exercise aimed at accelerating the company’s transition toward artificial intelligence-driven operations, according to multiple reports.

The Facebook-parent company has reportedly started issuing layoff notices in phased waves, with the downsizing and internal role reshuffling expected to impact around 10 per cent of its global workforce.

At the same time, Meta is said to be redeploying nearly 7,000 employees into newly created AI-focused positions as it reorganises teams around what executives describe as “AI-native” structures.

In an internal memo circulated to employees, Meta’s Human Resources chief Janelle Gale said several departments were being redesigned to operate with flatter hierarchies, leaner teams and faster decision-making processes centred on AI integration.

“As org leaders worked on the changes, many of them incorporated AI-native design principles into their new org structures,” Gale said in the memo, according to reports.

The company also reportedly instructed several North American employees to work from home on the day layoffs took effect — a step Meta has followed during previous rounds of job cuts.

The restructuring marks one of the company’s most aggressive shifts toward AI so far, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg continues to prioritise artificial intelligence infrastructure, advanced computing power and next-generation AI products.

Meta has projected capital expenditure between $125 billion and $145 billion for 2026, with a significant portion earmarked for AI data centres, custom-built chips and large-scale model training systems.

Reports also suggested Zuckerberg recently reassured employees that data collected through Meta’s platforms would be used to improve AI systems and not for surveillance purposes.

The layoffs follow weeks of speculation about a major internal reorganisation at Meta. Earlier this month, several reports indicated the company was preparing to cut nearly 10 per cent of its workforce while simultaneously expanding AI-related operations to streamline productivity and remain competitive in the rapidly evolving AI race.

Meta, like several other global technology firms, has been aggressively investing in generative AI tools and infrastructure amid intensifying competition from rivals including OpenAI, Google and Microsoft.

With IANS inputs