Facebook parent company Meta is cutting about 600 jobs within its artificial intelligence (AI) division as part of efforts to streamline operations following an aggressive hiring spree, according to US media reports on Wednesday.
The layoffs will not affect Meta’s TBD Lab, a specialized research unit established by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, reports from the Wall Street Journal and New York Times said. The lab reportedly expanded rapidly after recruiting top researchers from rivals such as OpenAI and Apple, often with lucrative compensation packages.
Instead, the job cuts will primarily target AI product and infrastructure teams, with the goal of improving efficiency while maintaining progress on Meta’s most ambitious projects, the Wall Street Journal reported. Some affected employees may be reassigned to other parts of the company, according to the paper.
The New York Times described the move as an effort to address “organizational bloat” that resulted from Meta’s rapid expansion to strengthen its AI capabilities.
Both outlets cited an internal memo from Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, who wrote that the restructuring would mean “fewer conversations will be required to make a decision.”
Meta has not responded to AFP’s request for comment.
AFP
