Trending 
Meta has kicked off layoffs of about 8,000 workers, representing roughly 10 percent of its global staff, as the company moves its focus toward artificial intelligence (AI) development.
The layoff began on Wednesday, with employees in different regions, including Singapore, among the first to receive notifications, according to Bloomberg. Earlier in the year, the company announced plans to cancel 6,000 planned hires and move about 7,000 employees into AI-related roles.
In a memo to staff, Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said he understands the difficulty of the decision.
“It’s always sad to say good-bye to people who have contributed to our mission and to building this company. I feel the weight of that,” he wrote.
Zuckerberg said he does not expect further major layoffs this year and admitted that the company could have communicated with their staff better.
He stated that Meta remains focused on building advanced AI tools, saying the company is “one of the few companies positioned to help define the future” and aims to develop “personal superintelligence” for users.
These job cuts are the largest since Meta’s 2022–2023 restructuring, which laid off about 21,000 positions during what Zuckerberg called the “Year of Efficiency.” Also, the company is increasing its investment in AI infrastructure, with spending set to reach between $125 billion and $145 billion this year.
