Meta Layoffs in AI Division: Why 600 Jobs Were Cut, What’s Next & Industry Impact
Meta’s AI Layoffs: What Happened?
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, confirmed it is laying off around 600 employees from its Artificial Intelligence division in October 2025. This comes just months after a billion-dollar hiring spree, poaching talent from rivals like OpenAI, Apple, and Anthropic. Employees affected include those in the AI infrastructure teams, the Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Research group (FAIR), and AI product-related roles in the company’s Superintelligence Labs.
Company Statements and Reasons
Meta’s Chief AI Officer, Alexandr Wang, detailed the changes in an internal memo. The company points to streamlining, reducing bureaucracy, and speeding up decision-making as the main reasons for the job cuts:
- “By reducing the size of our team, fewer conversations will be required to make a decision, and each person will be more load-bearing and have more scope and impact,” wrote Wang.
- The layoffs are targeted at legacy teams and product infrastructure, while new elite teams like TBD Labs—housing expensive hires and high-profile AI recruits—remain untouched.
Meta says it’s committed to aggressive investment in AI, and will continue hiring “industry-leading, AI-native talent” for its most ambitious projects.
Severance, Support, and Employee Impact
All affected employees will receive 16 weeks of severance, plus two weeks for each completed year of service and a notice period. Impacted staff have been told their work access is terminated, but they are encouraged to apply for other roles within Meta or use the time for external job searches.
The layoffs affect a wide talent pool, including international workers on visas. Reports spotlight the situation faced by an Indian woman on an H-1B visa, who had been with Meta only nine months before being laid off and is now seeking new opportunities.
The Broader Industry Trend: AI Job Market Gets Risky
Meta’s AI layoff is part of a broader industry pattern among big tech firms:
- As giants rapidly acquired or invested in AI startups, many workers discovered the risk of joining smaller firms with hopes of lucrative acquisition—sometimes resulting in layoffs not paydays.
- Recent acquisitions, like Accenture’s investment in Snorkel AI and Meta’s stake in Scale AI, led to workforce reductions at those companies too.
What’s Next for Meta and AI?
Despite the cuts, Meta is doubling down on AI spending, with massive investments in new data centers and ambitious “superintelligence” projects. The company signed a $27 billion deal to fund its Hyperion AI data center and is betting heavily on new, lean teams to deliver next-generation AI products.
Mark Zuckerberg’s strategy is clear: trim legacy teams, go after fast, elite talent, and compete directly with OpenAI, Google, and other leaders in artificial intelligence.
Conclusion
Meta’s October 2025 AI layoffs mark a radical shift in how Big Tech is approaching AI talent. For job seekers and industry watchers, the message is clear: the hottest tech careers can be both high-risk and high-reward. The aftermath of this move will influence hiring, innovation, and the AI job market globally for months to come.