Meta to Lay Off 8,000 Employees Amid Massive AI Investment Shift

Washington D.C. Meta, the parent company of social media giant Facebook, plans to lay off approximately 8,000 employees. In a memo sent to staff on Thursday, the company stated that nearly 10 percent of its total workforce would be cut. 

The announcement comes as the company aggressively increases spending in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). According to the memo, the company will also no longer fill thousands of vacant positions. The primary reason for this decision is the rising investment in AI projects. Sources indicate that Meta is preparing to spend approximately $135 billion on AI this year, an amount equal to the total expenditure of the previous three years.

Meta co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg had previously signaled that AI would bring significant changes to the way work is done. He noted that employees using AI tools are more productive and that tasks previously handled by large teams can now be performed by a single individual. "I think 2026 will be the year that AI dramatically changes the way we work," he stated.

Meta has been conducting periodic layoffs since 2022. This year alone, the company has already cut approximately 2,000 employees in two phases. The upcoming round of layoffs will be the largest since 2023. In recent months, the company has focused heavily on the development of AI models and tools. In this context, the company has also proposed a plan to track employees' computer activity to improve AI, a move some staff members have described as controversial.