Meta is laying off approximately 600 employees from its artificial intelligence division as chief AI officer Alexandr Wang pushes for a leaner, faster-moving organisation capable of competing in the race toward superintelligence. In an internal memo viewed by multiple outlets, Wang told affected staff that downsizing would streamline decision-making. “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,” he wrote.The cuts target Meta’s legacy AI infrastructure units, the Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR) group, and product-related positions within Meta Superintelligence Labs, according to CNBC. However, TBD Labs—the elite division housing Meta’s high-profile AI recruits hired over the summer—remained untouched, underscoring CEO Mark Zuckerberg‘s bet on expensive new talent over legacy teams.
Meta Superintelligence Labs CEO promises continued investment despite job cuts
Despite the layoffs, Wang emphasised that Meta remains committed to aggressive AI spending. “This by no means signals any decrease in investment. In fact, we will continue to hire industry-leading AI-native talent,” he stated in the memo seen by Axios.The company has spent hundreds of millions of dollars recruiting engineers and researchers from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Apple following its $14.3 billion investment in Scale AI and Wang’s June hiring. Meta Superintelligence Labs now employs just under 3,000 people after the cuts.
Meta’s AI ambitions clash with internal bloat
Sources told CNBC that Meta’s AI unit had become bloated, with teams like FAIR and product-oriented groups competing for computing resources. The restructuring follows Zuckerberg’s frustration with Meta’s AI progress, particularly after the lukewarm reception to Llama 4 models released in April.The layoffs come as Meta prepares to report third-quarter earnings next week and projects 2026 expenses will grow faster than 2025 due to AI initiatives. The company announced a $27 billion deal with Blue Owl Capital earlier this week to fund its massive Hyperion data center in Louisiana—a facility Zuckerberg said would cover “a significant part of the footprint of Manhattan.”
