Meta Slashes 600 Jobs in AI Division as Alexandr Wang Strengthens Control Over Company’s Artificial Intelligence Vision
Meta is laying off around 600 employees from its artificial intelligence division as part of a major restructuring aimed at streamlining operations and accelerating innovation. A company spokesperson confirmed that the move is part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broader plan to make the organization leaner and more efficient.
The job cuts were announced in a memo from Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, who joined Meta in June following the company’s multibillion-dollar investment in Scale AI. The layoffs affect staff across Meta’s AI infrastructure, Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR), and other product-focused teams.
However, employees working within TBD Labs, a new division that includes many of Meta’s top AI hires, were not impacted. Sources familiar with the matter indicated that this decision highlights Zuckerberg’s confidence in Wang’s leadership and Meta’s next-generation AI research unit — Superintelligence Labs.
Meta’s AI department has long been described internally as oversized, with multiple teams competing for computing resources. The restructuring is designed to consolidate overlapping groups and ensure more focused progress under Wang’s direction.
In recent months, Meta has been racing to close the gap with major AI competitors such as OpenAI and Google, investing heavily in infrastructure and top-tier engineering talent. Following the cuts, Meta’s Superintelligence Labs now employs just under 3,000 people.
Impacted employees were notified that their official termination date is November 21, and they will receive 16 weeks of severance pay plus two additional weeks per completed year of service.
Zuckerberg’s frustration reportedly grew after the release of Llama 4, which received a tepid response from developers earlier this year. In response, he doubled down on his AI ambitions — creating Meta Superintelligence Labs, now led by Wang and former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman.
During Meta’s second-quarter earnings call in July, the company projected total expenses for 2025 between $114 billion and $118 billion, with AI development expected to drive further spending in 2026.
Separately, Meta recently revealed a $27 billion partnership with Blue Owl Capital to fund its massive Hyperion data center project in Louisiana — a facility expected to rival the footprint of Manhattan in scale.
Meta will release its official third-quarter earnings report next week.
