May 21, 2026 | 08:39 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Meta has begun a sweeping global restructuring that includes laying off around 8,000 employees, equivalent to roughly 10 percent of its workforce, as the company accelerates investment in artificial intelligence (AI) development.Al Jazeera reported that the layoffs started on Wednesday and are expected to occur in multiple waves affecting employees across several divisions, including integrity teams responsible for handling harmful content, cybersecurity units, and content design operations.The company, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is also cancelling plans to hire approximately 6,000 new workers while shifting around 7,000 existing employees into AI-related roles.The restructuring marks one of Meta’s largest workforce reductions since the company began aggressively pivoting toward AI infrastructure and development under chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.In a companywide memo obtained by NBC News, Zuckerberg warned employees that “success isn’t a given” as competition in artificial intelligence intensifies globally.“AI is the most consequential technology of our lifetimes. The companies that lead the way will define the next generation,” Zuckerberg wrote.He also attempted to reassure remaining employees by saying no additional layoffs are currently planned for 2026, while emphasizing that Meta is transforming itself to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving AI industry.The company previously announced in April that it would significantly increase capital expenditures this year to between US$125 billion and US$145 billion, largely due to growing AI infrastructure demands and higher data center costs.Meta’s growing focus on AI has reportedly created internal tensions among employees. According to reports cited by Al Jazeera, some workers expressed concern that the company’s AI initiatives could eventually replace human jobs.The Wall Street Journal previously reported that more than 1,500 Meta employees signed a petition opposing the company’s use of internal worker data to train AI systems.Several current and former employees also reportedly complained about declining morale, reduced annual raises, and lower overall compensation packages as Meta redirects spending toward AI projects such as its Meta Superintelligence initiative.Despite the layoffs, Zuckerberg remains highly optimistic about the company’s future direction.“This is the most dynamic I have seen our industry,” he wrote in his memo. “We’re transforming our company to make sure it will always be the best place for talented people to have the greatest impact.”According to Meta, affected employees in the United States will receive severance packages that include four months of pay, with additional compensation based on years of service, along with healthcare and immigration support.The layoffs come amid a broader wave of AI-driven restructuring across the global technology sector. A recent Goldman Sachs survey estimated that AI-related workforce reductions now account for more than 16,000 payroll cuts per month globally in 2026.Meanwhile, networking giant Cisco also recently announced plans to cut around 4,000 employees as companies across the technology industry continue reshaping operations around artificial intelligence.Read: Meta, Microsoft Purge Jobs Amid AI Build-UpClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
