Meta forces top engineers into AI unit as 200 layoffs loom in Silicon Valley

Meta transfers top engineers into new AI tooling team

NEW YORK, April 9 (Reuters) - Meta (META.O), opens new tab is drafting top software engineers from across the company into a new AI engineering organization created last month, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters, part of a reorganization of its workforce in preparation for layoffs. The social media company is starting to inform staffers selected for transfer into the Applied AI (AAI) Engineering unit this week, according to the memo, authored by the head of the new organization, Maher Saba. Saba, a vice president in the Reality Labs division and longtime lieutenant of Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth, had initially invited volunteers to sign up for the organization when he announced its establishment last month. Joining was no longer voluntary, he said in his new memo. The company was "now ⁠moving to the next phase: scaling the team" and had worked with leaders across Meta to "identify strong SWE (software engineer) talent" for it. "AAI is one of the company's highest priorities and we're resourcing it by moving our strongest talent to address it. Therefore, the transfers aren't optional," he wrote, responding to a question from an employee. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the memo, first reported by the Information, or plans for the team. The reorganization comes as Meta plans sweeping layoffs that could eliminate tens of thousands of jobs at the company, as it seeks to offset costly artificial intelligence infrastructure bets and prepare for greater efficiency brought about by AI-assisted workers. The Applied AI organization is part of that vision, ⁠tasked with building tools and evaluations to accelerate the development of AI agents that can write code and carry out complex tasks autonomously. The end goal, Saba said last month, was to have the agents perform the bulk of the work to build, test and ship products and infrastructure at Meta, with human staffers monitoring them. The Facebook and Instagram owner has pushed employees to ⁠hit targets for AI usage this year and has restructured some teams within Reality Labs to be "AI native," with fewer managers keeping tabs on large teams using AI-generated reports on their performance. CEO Mark Zuckerberg alluded to the transformation he had planned for the ⁠company in a January call with investors, saying he expected 2026 to be "the year that AI starts to dramatically change the way that we work." "We're investing in AI-native tooling so individuals at Meta can get more done, we're ⁠elevating individual contributors, and flattening teams," he said. If the plan is successful, he added, "then I think that we're going to get a lot more done and I think it'll be a lot more fun." Reporting by Katie Paul in New York and Jeff Horwitz in San Francisco; Editing by Jennifer Saba and Lisa Shumaker Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Meta to Conduct Yet Another Layoff, Designation Changes Amid AI Push

Meta's layoffs are reportedly driven by internal AI adoption Meta is reportedly laying off as many as 200 employees amid the company's ongoing artificial intelligence (AI) transformation. As per the report, these layoffs impact the company's US-based teams and not the global offices. Additionally, the social media giant is reportedly planning to phase out the middle manager positions to make the teams leaner and the hierarchy streamlined. Reports claim that the company is now hiring for "org lead" positions instead of the legacy manager roles in the mid-to-senior roles. Meta Layoffs, Designation Shift Come Amid AI Adoption According to an ET CIO report, the Menlo Park-based tech giant is set to show the pink card to as many as 200 employees in Silicon Valley. Citing filings with California's Employment Development Department, the publication claimed that as many as 124 positions are set to be laid off in the company's Bulingame location, and 74 roles in Sunnyvale. The fresh round of layoffs will reportedly come into effect by the end of May. The reported layoff comes shortly after Meta fired 10 percent of employees in its Reality Labs division in January. The move reportedly impacted nearly 1,500 individuals, and it is said that the company was downsizing the division to shift focus on its AI ventures. Meanwhile, a Business Insider report claims that Meta is doing away with traditional middle management roles in the company. The Mark Zuckerberg-led company has reportedly started giving its Reality Labs unit one of the three titles from AI builder, pod lead, or org lead. The publication claims that the move is aimed at streamlining hierarchy and highlighting its AI-native transformation. Citing job listings on the Indeed website, the report added that Meta reduced middle manager hirings in 2025 by 12.3 percent, compared to the previous year. The development corroborates with Meta's latest line of employee designations. It is unclear whether the title changes are simply a renaming exercise or if they also include new and changed responsibilities for employees. While the role of AI builder suggests there will be heavy inclusion of AI tools, it is difficult to assert the same without an official statement from the tech giant.

Meta layoffs: around 200 employees to be terminated amid AI push

Meta plans to cut around 200 jobs in Silicon Valley, adding to recent layoffs across teams like recruiting and Reality Labs. Earlier cuts exceeded 1,000 roles, with more reductions possible. Despite this, the company continues hiring and had about 79,000 employees at the end of 2025. Meta is set to lay off around 200 employees in Silicon Valley, according to filings with California's Employment Development Department. The company will cut 124 positions in Burlingame and 74 in Sunnyvale, with the reductions taking effect in late May. This move adds to layoffs that happened towards the end of March, affecting teams across recruiting, sales, operations, and the Reality Labs division. Previous layoffs In January 2026, Meta had already eliminated over 1,000 or around 10% of the roles in Reality Labs. Some affected staff are being offered other positions within the company, although some roles may require relocation. In early March, Reuters reported that Meta might cut up to 20% of its workforce, though timing and numbers were not finalised. If this happens, it would be the biggest reduction since 2022-2023, when the company cut 11,000 jobs, about 13% of its workforce. Despite layoffs, Meta is still hiring for key roles. According to the report, at the end of 2025, it employed about 79,000 people, a 6% increase from the previous year, with headcount at 78,865 as of December 31, 2025. Heavy AI investment Earlier this year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that Meta is reducing team size and instead using AI tools to boost efficiency. The company plans to increase spending on AI, with capital expenditure projected at $115-135 billion this year. This 75% jump from 2025 is mostly related to investment in AI infrastructure such as servers and data centres. Operating expenses are also expected to rise about 40%, partly due to higher salaries for technical staff. Even as some jobs are cut, Zuckerberg has been hiring aggressively since early 2024. Notable new hires include Alexander Wang, appointed chief AI officer, leading Meta Superintelligence Labs, and among the highest-paid additions. Company response According to The Times of India,a Meta spokesperson said: "Teams across Meta regularly restructure or implement changes to ensure they're in the best position to achieve their goals. Where possible, we are finding other opportunities for employees whose positions may be impacted." Earlier this year, Zuckerberg had said: "I think 2026 is going to be the year that AI starts to dramatically change the way that we work."

Meta transfers top engineers into new AI tooling team

Meta is drafting top software engineers from across the company into a new AI engineering organization created last month, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters, part of a reorganization of its workforce in preparation for layoffs. The social media company is starting to inform staffers selected for transfer into the Applied AI (AAI) Engineering unit this week, according to the memo, authored by the head of the new organization, Maher Saba. Saba, a vice president in the Reality Labs division and longtime lieutenant of Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth, had initially invited volunteers to sign up for the organization when he announced its establishment last month. Joining was no longer voluntary, he said in his new memo. The company was "now moving to the next phase: scaling the team" and had worked with leaders across Meta to "identify strong SWE (software engineer) talent" for it. "AAI is one of the company's highest priorities and we're resourcing it by moving our strongest talent to address it. Therefore, the transfers aren't optional," he wrote, responding to a question from an employee. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the memo, first reported by the Information, or plans for the team. The reorganization comes as Meta plans sweeping layoffs that could eliminate tens of thousands of jobs at the company, as it seeks to offset costly artificial intelligence infrastructure bets and prepare for greater efficiency brought about by AI-assisted workers. The Applied AI organization is part of that vision, tasked with building tools and evaluations to accelerate the development of AI agents that can write code and carry out complex tasks autonomously. The end goal, Saba said last month, was to have the agents perform the bulk of the work to build, test and ship products and infrastructure at Meta, with human staffers monitoring them. The Facebook and Instagram owner has pushed employees to hit targets for AI usage this year and has restructured some teams within Reality Labs to be "AI native," with fewer managers keeping tabs on large teams using AI-generated reports on their performance. CEO Mark Zuckerberg alluded to the transformation he had planned for the company in a January call with investors, saying he expected 2026 to be "the year that AI starts to dramatically change the way that we work." "We're investing in AI-native tooling so individuals at Meta can get more done, we're elevating individual contributors, and flattening teams," he said. If the plan is successful, he added, "then I think that we're going to get a lot more done and I think it'll be a lot more fun."