Far from the red-eyed admission of fault he gave when Meta conducted some of its first mass layoffs in 2022, on Wednesday, Zuckerberg dismissed 8,000 workers, or about 10% of its workforce, with a detached-sounding memo that emphasized that “success isn’t a given” in the AI race. As part of the restructuring this week, 7,000 employees were also set to be moved into AI-focused roles, several outlets reported.
“AI is the most consequential technology of our lifetimes,” Zuckerberg said in the memo. “The companies that lead the way will define the next generation.”
Zuckerberg said in the memo that the company doesn’t expect to conduct any other company-wide layoffs this year.
The company will be left with an estimated 71,000 employees after the layoffs, according to its most recent headcount number from December.
Of course, situations change, and the company is not in the same place as it was in 2022. Facing pressure to compete with the likes of AI heavy hitters like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google, Meta is adjusting its approach to meet the moment.
