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Meta Platforms is set to trim around 600 positions from its artificial intelligence division, Superintelligence Labs, in a move aimed at making its sprawling AI operations leaner and more adaptable.
The company confirmed the reductions on Wednesday, affecting staff within Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research (FAIR), product-related AI teams, and AI infrastructure roles. Employees impacted by the cuts have been placed on paid notice periods through late November, with Meta offering internal transfer opportunities and a severance package that includes 16 weeks of pay plus two additional weeks for every year of service.
Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, who joined the company earlier this year, told staff that a smaller, more focused workforce would "streamline decision-making and increase each member's impact." The company's TBD Lab, a small unit dedicated to developing Meta's next-generation foundation models, will remain unaffected.
The restructuring comes as Meta continues to double down on AI spending to compete with OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has personally championed the company's aggressive investment strategy, funnelling billions into new data infrastructure and research talent.
Just a day before the layoffs were announced, Meta signed a $27 billion financing deal with Blue Owl Capital to fund its upcoming Hyperion data center in Louisiana, its largest-ever private capital arrangement. Analysts say the deal will allow Meta to scale its AI ambitions while offloading part of the financial risk to external investors.
The latest cuts follow the June reorganization of Meta's AI operations under the Superintelligence Labs umbrella, a move prompted by leadership departures and lackluster reviews of its open-source Llama 4 model.
Wang now leads the newly consolidated unit alongside former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman, focusing on next-generation AI research and product applications.
Meta is expected to release its third-quarter earnings next week, with total expenses for 2025 projected between $114 billion and $118 billion, a figure likely to rise further as AI development costs continue to grow.
