Meta AI Cuts 600 Jobs, Shuts Access, Urges Exits to Seek Other Roles

Meta AI layoffs 2025 : Layoffs are rife in the tech world! Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has decided to lay off 600 employees from its Artificial Intelligence (AI) unit. The company says this step is being taken to reduce "layers" and speed up work. But the question remains: why is Meta making cuts despite spending billions of dollars on AI? A memo from the company's Chief AI Officer, Alexander Wang, revealed that these layoffs will be across AI infrastructure, research, and product teams, but the "Super Intelligence Lab" (TBD Labs) will remain untouched.

Company investing billions of dollars in infrastructure

Meta has invested heavily in the AI ​​field this year. In July, it invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI and appointed Alexander Wang as Chief AI Officer. Top talent was hired for the Super Intelligence Lab. The team has grown so large that it's difficult to manage. Sources familiar with the matter told CNBC, "The AI ​​unit has bloated due to hiring across multiple teams. Now, there's a need for slimming down."

A company spokesperson clarified, "These layoffs will reduce layers and speed up work." Meta AI is investing billions of dollars in infrastructure to compete with rivals like OpenAI and Google, but challenges are mounting. The layoffs will reduce the number of employees in the AI ​​unit to below 3,000.

Who will survive?

• Affected areas: The AI ​​infrastructure unit, the fundamental AI research team, and product-related positions.
• Safe: TBD Labs (Super Intelligence Team)—Top AI experts who were recently hired here will be retained.

Affected Unit and Description

• AI Infrastructure: Cuts on roles related to servers, cloud, and tech support.
• Research Team: Focus on basic AI development, but overlapping roles will be cut.
• Product Position: Developers involved in AI-based features (such as Meta AI Voice) will be affected.
• TBD Labs: Super Intelligence Lab— No layoffs; focus will remain here.

Notice Period Twist

Meta has notified the 600 affected employees this week. Their last day will be November 21st. Until then, they will be on a 'non-working notice period':

• Access Restricted: No use of the company's internal systems (email, tools).
• Time Benefit: Employees can search for another job within Meta during this time. If they don't find one, they will be required to leave.
• Severance Package: The company did not provide details, but according to industry standards, they may receive 3-6 months' salary and health benefits.

These moves are part of Meta's "efficiency" drive, which Mark Zuckerberg is driving through 2023. Earlier this year, there were cuts at Reality Labs (Metaverse). But the focus on AI is increasing—most recently, Deepika Padukone was appointed the voice of Meta AI!

Global Context: Meta's Bet in the AI ​​Race

Meta launched the Llama model to keep up with OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, but costs are rising. Experts say, "The layoffs may lead to short-term savings but could impact innovation in the long term." Meta's stock fell slightly following the news.