New Delhi — Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, will cut about 600 positions across its artificial intelligence (AI) division as part of efforts to simplify reporting lines and sharpen focus within its Superintelligence Labs, people familiar with the matter said.
The development, first reported by Axios, marks the latest restructuring within Meta’s AI organisation, which has undergone several changes this year as the company seeks to speed up product development and reduce bureaucracy.
According to a memo viewed by TechObserver.in, Alexandr Wang, Meta’s Chief AI Officer, said the job cuts will mainly affect teams in the AI infrastructure unit, the Fundamental AI Research group (FAIR) and several product-oriented roles.
The memo stated that the recently formed “TBD Lab”, which includes many of Meta’s high-profile AI recruits, would not be impacted.
“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,” Wang wrote in the internal message.
Meta confirmed the layoffs and said affected employees were being encouraged to apply for other roles within the company. Those who do not find a new position will be placed on non-working notice until November 21, receiving full pay and internal job-search support.
Meta restructuring within Superintelligence Labs
Meta’s latest reorganisation follows its June announcement of Meta Superintelligence Labs, a new unit focused on developing advanced AI systems and research toward artificial general intelligence (AGI) — the theoretical stage at which machines can match or exceed human cognitive capabilities. The lab combines several of Meta’s earlier AI research and product teams under one structure.
The layoffs come just months after Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg approved major hiring within the same division, bringing in talent from OpenAI, Google and Apple. Those teams, reporting directly to Wang, remain unaffected by the job cuts.
According to company sources, the current round of layoffs is aimed at reducing overlaps between research and product teams that often competed for computing resources. Within Meta, the AI division had been described as large and complex, with multiple groups handling similar functions.
Following the reduction, Meta’s Superintelligence Labs workforce will stand at just under 3,000 employees. The company said the move is intended to make the organisation more agile as it accelerates deployment of AI models across its social media platforms.
Many view the decision as a reflection on rising cost pressures within the global technology industry, as large firms balance heavy investments in AI infrastructure with shareholder expectations for profitability.
Meta has projected total expenses for 2025 between $114 billion and $118 billion, and expects AI spending to push 2026 expenses even higher. Meta, headquartered in Menlo Park, California, is due to report its third-quarter results next week.
