Meta begins 8,000 global job cuts in AI efficiency push

🔗 원문 전체 보기 → Financial Post

요약

Meta Platforms Inc. is alerting thousands of employees that they’re being laid off, part of a previously announced restructuring. Read here

본문

Article content

Meta Platforms Inc. is alerting thousands of employees that they’re being laid off, part of a previously announced restructuring aimed at reducing costs while the company invests heavily in artificial intelligence.

Sign In or Create an Account

or View more offersArticle content

The company began notifying workers around the world Wednesday morning, starting with employees across Asia, who got the note at 4 a.m. Singapore time. United States-based staff are also expected to receive word during their morning, according to an internal memo.

Article contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.Article content Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content

In Ireland, the company cut around 350 jobs, an estimated fifth of its workforce there, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified as the information is private. A Meta representative declined to comment on specific cuts but said the company has notified affected employees and the Irish government.

Article contentWork

FP Work touches on HR strategy, labour economics, office culture, technology and more.

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

Thanks for signing up!

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Work will soon be in your inbox.

Interested in more newsletters? Browse here.

Article content

Staff are being encouraged to work from home while the company cuts roughly 8,000 roles globally. This latest round of cuts is expected to hit Meta’s engineering and product teams in particular and additional layoffs could come later in the year, said people familiar with the company’s plans, who asked not to be named as the information is not public.

Article content

“Automators like Meta risk no longer being an employer of choice as it’s being revealed that they will cut out the human when the opportunity presents itself,” said Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, professor of economics and behavioural science at the University of Oxford. “Doing so might well lead to short-term cost savings but risks longer-term growth potential by undermining employee wellbeing and engagement.”

Article content Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content

On Monday, Meta informed staff that some 7,000 workers have also been reassigned to newly formed teams that are focused on AI initiatives, including products and agents. The company, which has committed well in excess of US$100 billion to AI capital expenditures this year, had just under 80,000 employees at the end of March, ahead of the reassignments and layoffs.

Article contentRead More

1. Bank executives’ AI talk takes frightening turn for workers
2. Meta acquires robotics AI company to help build humanoid technology
3. Advertisement 1Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Article content

“We’re now at the stage where many orgs can operate with a flatter structure with smaller teams of pods/cohorts that can move faster and with more ownership,” Meta’s head of people Janelle Gale said in the memo, which was reviewed by Bloomberg News. “We believe this will make us more productive and make the work more rewarding.”

Article content

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has made AI the company’s top priority, committing all resources to keeping pace with rivals like Alphabet Inc.’s Google and OpenAI. That’s led to changes to Meta’s workforce and the way it operates. The company has gone through waves of layoffs over recent years, as Zuckerberg has pushed for increased efficiency. He has encouraged engineers to use AI agents to assist with coding and other tasks, outlined plans to track employees’ devices to improve the technology, and spent time coding his own AI-powered assistant to handle some of his CEO duties, like soliciting employee feedback.