There are growing fears in Government that yesterday’s greater than expected job losses at tech giant Meta’s Irish operation could be followed by further cuts in the wider sector.While no formal indication has been given to Government by the tech companies that more job cuts are coming, it is understood that industry figures have privately warned Ministers and officials that as many as 80 per cent of tech jobs globally could be lost over the coming decade.Three sources across Government, who spoke privately due to the sensitivity of the issue, confirmed there is an expectation that further job cuts will be announced in the coming months as the roll-out of artificial intelligence (AI) technology takes its toll.Social media giant Meta on Wednesday cut up to 350 jobs, about 20 per cent of its Irish workforce, as part of the latest round of job losses that will see it shed thousands of roles worldwide. The number was significantly higher than the initial 10 per cent expected, causing alarm in Government.Tech companies globally have been cutting jobs as they seek to meet the changes the roll-out of AI is expected to bring, but Ireland is in the firing line more than most given many leading tech companies have large operations here.Speaking to reporters in Galway, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said “there is certainly an AI trend beginning, but it’s unclear”. “There is an investment outlay by some of these companies and they are cutting costs to fund the outlay. And AI itself is replacing certain types of jobs, so therefore we have to work to create newer types of jobs such as we are creating here in the life sciences sector,” he said at the announcement of US medical firm Medtronic’s new European software development hub at Parkmore. In a message aimed at workers who had been laid off, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke said: “The Government will have your back – we will support you to gain employment again.”He said there was a huge demand for the skills that departing Meta employees possess, and promised to assist with any additional training. He added that the IDA, which sought to respond to the threat by supporting the upskilling of workforces in its client companies, was in contact with Meta. [ What lies ahead for Meta in Ireland?Opens in new window ]Government sources pointed out that employment is expected to increase this year and the economy is also set for strong growth, despite external pressures. But there is no mistaking the anxiety about what AI will mean for some jobs.Meta did not confirm how many jobs were to go at its Irish operation, but it is understood the company has notified the Department of Enterprise of its intention to implement redundancy plans.Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is reducing staff numbers globally by 10 per cent – about 8,000 jobs – in an attempt to offset its heavy investment in artificial intelligence and boost efficiency.The workforce in Ireland has already been reduced by 40 per cent since its post-Covid peak of about 3,000 staff to 1,800 people across multiple sites, including Meta’s international headquarters in Dublin, a data centre in Co Meath and Reality Labs in Cork, according to an analysis by The Irish Times.This latest round of lay-offs is expected to impact the engineering and product teams, but further reductions in headcount could come later in the year, sources said.On Monday, Meta informed staff that 7,000 workers have been reassigned to new teams focused on AI initiatives, including products and agents. The company, which has committed well in excess of $100 billion to AI capital expenditures this year, had just under 80,000 employees at the end of March, ahead of the reassignments and lay-offs.Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has made AI the company’s top priority, committing all resources to keeping pace with rivals such as Google and OpenAI. Meta’s aggressive spending on AI has caused concern among investors, who worry that the company’s investment may not pay off.