Meta Platforms, parent of social media companies Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has confirmed that large-scale layoffs planned for this week will be paired with major internal changes designed to accelerate its artificial intelligence efforts.
The company plans to reduce around 10% of its workforce on Wednesday with further cuts expected later this year as part of a broader restructuring drive.
Meta has also shut roughly 6,000 open positions during the process, according to an earlier internal memo by chief people officer Janelle Gale.
AI teams to absorb thousands
As per the Reuters report, Gale told employees that about 7,000 staff members would be reassigned to new AI-focused initiatives. At the same time, the company intends to remove a number of managerial roles as it reshapes teams.
Gale said several department heads would soon introduce organisational changes across the business.
"As org leaders worked on the changes, many of them incorporated AI native design principles into their new org structures. 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," she said.
Overall, the layoffs and transfers are expected to affect nearly 20% of Meta’s workforce. Some staff movements have already taken place, while other employees are expected to receive updates on Wednesday, Gale added.
Workers in North America were also instructed to work remotely on the day the layoffs are expected to be announced.
Meta’s headcount stood at 77,986 at the end of March, based on company filings.
Push towards AI-driven operations
The restructuring forms part of a wider overhaul underway at Meta as the company sharply increases spending on artificial intelligence.
The social media giant is attempting to place AI agents at the centre of both its products and day-to-day operations. The report noted that the developments mirror a wider trend across major US technology firms, where AI investments are increasingly being linked to job reductions.
Among the new divisions receiving transferred employees are Applied AI Engineering (AAI) and Agent Transformation Accelerator (ATA) XFN. Reuters said both teams had previously been introduced by CTO Andrew Bosworth under Meta’s “AI for Work” initiative.
The two groups are focused on building AI agents capable of independently carrying out tasks that are currently handled by human workers.
Another division, Central Analytics, will reportedly measure productivity and performance data tied to AI agent development.
Gale also told staff that more information on a separate initiative called Enterprise Solutions would be shared shortly.
Former employee describes ‘doomsday’ atmosphere
Adel Wu, a former Meta employee, described the atmosphere ahead of earlier layoffs as “almost like doomsday”.
In a post shared on X, Wu recalled seeing employees filling bags with free snacks, drinks and chargers before one major round of cuts.
“During my last year at meta there were probably 4-5 layoffs, but this one on 5/20 is huuuge,” she wrote.
Several users responding to her post said they had experienced similar uncertainty during repeated rounds of layoffs at the company.
One commenter claimed to have witnessed every major layoff cycle at Meta and said that although the latest cuts may not necessarily exceed earlier rounds, there remained “a lot of anxiety and resentment” inside the organisation.
Others argued that repeated workforce reductions had badly hurt employee morale.
Another user described employees waking up early each morning to check their inboxes for layoff notifications, calling the shared experience “trauma bonding”.
Staff backlash grows internally
The restructuring has sparked visible unrest among employees, according to Reuters.
Workers have reportedly protested the changes through flyers posted across company offices as well as critical posts on Workplace, Meta’s internal communication platform.
More than 1,000 employees have signed a petition objecting to the installation of mouse-tracking software. Staff members claim the technology is being used to train Meta’s AI systems to mimic how humans interact with computers.
Some employees have also openly challenged senior management, criticising executives for failing to address privacy concerns linked to the software.
Others expressed frustration over the leadership remaining silent about the layoffs for weeks after the plans were in the open.
Reuters reported that during this period many staffers reacted to executives’ Workplace posts using elephant images, implying the layoffs were the “elephant in the room”.
