Meta restructures workforce, cuts 4,000 jobs to prioritise AI

Meta is re-aligning its workforce to prioritise AI development, cutting around 4,000 jobs while hiring more AI engineers, Business Insider has reported. The company plans to eliminate about 5% of its global workforce to focus on AI advancements. CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated in an internal memo that the company is raising performance standards and will replace these roles with new hires, particularly in machine learning.

This shift comes as Meta seeks to accelerate its AI efforts amid growing competition, particularly following the emergence of DeepSeek, a reportedly faster and more cost-effective AI model. The company aims to stay competitive in the global AI race by heavily investing in AI infrastructure. In 2025 alone, Meta will allocate around $65 billion toward AI initiatives, including expanding its data centers and increasing GPU capacity.

Zuckerberg sees 2025 as a pivotal year for AI, leading Meta to intensify its AI push across its platforms. This marks a stark shift from its previous focus on the metaverse, which had been a major priority until OpenAI’s ChatGPT reshaped the AI landscape.

While AI continues to evolve, the feasibility of true artificial general intelligence (AGI) remains uncertain. For now, Meta is betting big on AI-driven advancements, including potentially replacing engineers with AI agents to enhance efficiency and create new business opportunities. However, the long-term impact and limitations of these AI investments are yet to be fully understood.

Meta has begun notifying affected employees of the layoffs this week.