Meta is reportedly considering a new round of layoffs as it expands spending on artificial intelligence.
According to reporting from Reuters, internal discussions have included the possibility of reducing the workforce by as much as one-fifth. No timeline has been set, and the scale of any cuts has not been finalised. A company spokesperson has described the reports as speculative.
If implemented, the move would mark one of Meta’s largest workforce reductions since its restructuring in 2022 and 2023, when the company cut tens of thousands of jobs during what it called a shift toward efficiency.
The current discussions appear tied to a different priority. Over the past year, Meta has increased its focus on generative AI, investing heavily in data centres, research teams and infrastructure. The company has outlined plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on computing capacity over the coming years, reflecting the scale required to train and run large AI models.
At the same time, executives have pointed to changes in how work is done. Mark Zuckerberg has said that some projects that once required large teams can now be handled by significantly smaller groups using AI tools. The implication is not only technological progress, but organisational adjustment.
Meta has also been competing for talent in the same space. It has offered substantial compensation packages to attract researchers for its AI efforts and has pursued acquisitions linked to AI development. These investments sit alongside ongoing work on its language models, where performance and reliability have faced scrutiny.
The reported plans mirror a wider pattern in the industry. Several technology companies have reduced headcount while increasing investment in automation and AI systems.
