Meta will eliminate 600 positions in its artificial intelligence division, US media reported. The company confirmed the decision on Wednesday, stating it continues to recruit for its superintelligence lab while cutting other AI roles.
Axios revealed the layoffs will hit Meta’s Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) team, along with product and infrastructure AI units. However, the company’s newer TBD Lab will remain unaffected by the reductions.
Employees Encouraged to Seek Internal Roles
Chief AI officer Alexandr Wang informed staff in a memo that affected employees should apply for other roles within Meta. Axios stated that most displaced workers are expected to secure internal positions. Wang noted that the smaller team will make decisions faster and allow each member to carry more responsibility and influence.
Meta Pursues Open AI Strategy
The California-based company continues to recruit for TBD Lab, which develops Meta’s latest large language models (LLMs). These systems power tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Meta’s own Llama.
Unlike its competitors, Meta distributes its Llama model as a semi-open source system, allowing developers to use and modify key components. The company reports that over one billion people use its AI tools monthly, yet many analysts view Meta as trailing OpenAI and Google in driving widespread consumer engagement with LLMs.
