Meta To Cut 8,000 Jobs While Moving 7,000 Employees Into AI Roles

Meta is set to lay off around 8,000 employees as part of a wider restructuring aimed at accelerating its artificial intelligence ambitions.

At the same time, the company plans to shift nearly 7,000 workers into new AI-focused teams, signalling a broader transformation in how Big Tech firms are reorganising their workforces around AI.

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Meta plans job cuts and AI-focused role shifts.
• Layoffs and reassignments follow AI strategy acceleration.
• Employees may face early morning emails for changes.

Meta is preparing for another major restructuring exercise, with thousands of employees expected to be affected as the company accelerates its push towards artificial intelligence.

The Mark Zuckerberg-led tech giant is reportedly set to cut around 8,000 jobs on May 20, roughly 10 per cent of its global workforce. But alongside the layoffs, Meta is also planning a massive internal reshuffle, with nearly 7,000 employees expected to be moved into new AI-focused roles.

The development highlights a growing reality across the technology industry: companies are not just reducing headcount, they are redesigning themselves around AI.

Layoffs and Reassignments to Happen Together

According to a Reuters report citing an internal company memo, Meta informed employees that the upcoming restructuring would include both layoffs and organisational changes.

Meta’s Chief People Officer Janelle Gale said the company was reducing managerial layers while simultaneously shifting employees into teams aligned with its AI strategy.

“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,” Gale wrote in the memo.

The restructuring means nearly one in five Meta employees could be affected by layoffs, transfers or reporting changes.

The 4 AM Emails and Anxiety Inside Meta

Reports suggest employees impacted by the layoffs will receive emails in three separate waves at 4 AM local time. The move has reportedly added to anxiety within the company, particularly after earlier rounds of job cuts and restructuring.

According to Business Insider, some Meta employees have already been asked to work from home ahead of the announcement.

Reports also indicate morale inside the company has weakened considerably in recent months, with employees discussing uncertainty around roles, AI restructuring and future hiring plans.

In one sign of the tense atmosphere, reports claimed some workers had begun stockpiling free office snacks ahead of the layoff announcement.

Meta’s Big AI Bet

The restructuring forms part of Meta’s broader strategy to aggressively expand its AI operations.

The company had earlier announced plans to invest between $125 billion and $145 billion in capital expenditure during 2026, with a major focus on AI infrastructure and products.

Meta has also reportedly closed around 6,000 open job positions following last month’s layoff announcement, even as it continues hiring selectively for AI-related teams.

Industry watchers say the company is increasingly prioritising engineering and AI research talent over traditional managerial structures.

What Are the New AI Teams?

Many of the employees being reassigned are expected to join new initiatives such as Applied AI Engineering and Agent Transformation Accelerator XFN. The teams were previously introduced by Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth as part of the company’s wider ‘AI for Work’ strategy.

The projects are focused on building AI agents capable of autonomously carrying out tasks currently performed by humans. Some employees are also expected to move into Central Analytics, a division focused on productivity measurement and analytics linked to AI agent development.

Janelle Gale also said additional details regarding another initiative called Enterprise Solutions would be shared separately.

AI Inside the Workplace

Meta’s AI ambitions are not limited to customer-facing products. The company is also increasing the use of AI tools internally. Reports suggest Meta has introduced mouse-tracking software capable of monitoring employee keystrokes and cursor movements to help train AI systems.

The move has reportedly sparked internal resistance, with around 1,000 employees signing a petition objecting to the monitoring practices. At the same time, Meta is said to be investing heavily in agentic AI systems and AI avatars. Reports have even suggested that Mark Zuckerberg has developed an AI clone capable of interacting with employees.