Massive Layoffs at Meta: 8,000 Employees Laid Off Due to Huge Investments in AI 0 9

The American tech giant Meta, owner of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and the messaging app WhatsApp, has announced massive layoffs. The company plans to lay off about 8,000 employees, which accounts for approximately 10% of its workforce. This decision is directly related to the colossal investments the firm is making in the development of artificial intelligence technologies, reports BBC.

On Thursday, Meta's management informed its employees about the upcoming layoffs. Additionally, the company will not fill thousands of vacancies for which new specialists were previously planned to be hired.

The primary reason for these layoffs is Meta's astronomical spending on artificial intelligence development. This year alone, the firm intends to invest $135 billion in AI, which, according to a source familiar with the staff letter, is equivalent to the amount spent on AI over the previous three years. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the plans for workforce reduction but refrained from further comments.

Back in January, Meta's founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg hinted at a new wave of layoffs this year. He noted that artificial intelligence has significantly increased employee productivity, allowing one person to perform tasks that previously required an entire team.

Zuckerberg stated, "I think 2026 will be the year when AI starts to fundamentally change how we work."

This year, Meta has already carried out two rounds of layoffs, dismissing about 2,000 people. Company employees have reportedly anticipated much larger job cuts for several weeks.

In recent months, Meta has been actively investing in the development of AI models and tools, striving to catch up with competitors in the tech sector.

This week, Meta employees were informed that the company would be monitoring and recording their work on computers to train AI models. One employee described this practice as "dystopian," especially in light of the upcoming layoffs.

"The company has been completely taken over by artificial intelligence," the individual commented.

Since 2022, Meta has cut tens of thousands of jobs while actively hiring new specialists. As a result, the total workforce has remained roughly at pre-crisis levels.

The current layoffs announced by Meta will be the largest since 2023.

Wave of Layoffs in the Tech Sector

This year, other major companies have also announced mass layoffs due to significant investments in AI technologies. For example, Amazon laid off more than 30,000 employees, while Oracle cut over 10,000.

The smaller firm Block laid off nearly half of its workforce, totaling about 4,000 people. The company Snap, which owns the popular messaging app Snapchat, also reduced its staff by about 1,000 employees.