Meta lays off 8,000 staff for artificial intelligence, Zuckerberg says AI is the most important technology in our lives

Jakarta — Meta has officially laid off around 8,000 employees, or roughly 10 percent of its workforce, as competition in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector intensifies, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in an internal memo to staff, cited by CNBC on Friday, 22 May 2026.

In addition to the layoffs, about 7,000 Meta employees will be moved to new roles focused on AI development. Teams linked to AI infrastructure, foundational AI models, and AI monetisation will be retained in the restructuring.

Meta had signalled sweeping efficiency measures since April 2026, at which time the company announced the cancellation of recruitment for around 6,000 new roles to redirect investment toward AI.

“It’s always sad to part ways with people who have contributed to the mission and growth of this company,” Zuckerberg said. “I want to thank everyone who leaves today for the hard work they’ve contributed to our community.”

As a result of this, internal anxiety at Meta has risen as the company has carried out layoffs several times this year. In January 2026, Meta laid off around 1,000 employees in the Reality Labs unit, and in March, hundreds more were cut.

Meta has also begun reducing the use of vendors and contract moderators as some tasks are replaced by AI. The report suggests that Meta is likely to carry out further rounds of layoffs in August and the autumn of this year.

Data from the Blind platform show Meta’s internal employee ratings fell by 25 per cent from their peak in Q2 2024, and the company’s work culture rating dropped by 39 per cent.

Zuckerberg acknowledged that corporate communications to staff remain unclear: “We want to acknowledge that we haven’t been as clear as we hoped in our communications, and that is an area we want to improve.”

Meta is not alone among tech companies cutting costs amid the AI boom. Cisco last week announced layoffs of around 4,000 employees. Meanwhile, Microsoft has begun offering voluntary severance for the first time in the company’s history.