Meta Planning Significant Job Cuts as Zuckerberg Pursues Artificial Intelligence Ambitions

Meta is reportedly planning to conduct large-scale layoffs once again. According to three sources, Meta intends to cut up to 20% or potentially more of its workforce, though no execution date has been confirmed.

The layoffs are being undertaken as Meta seeks to align its infrastructure with artificial intelligence capabilities. The company is also preparing for greater efficiency through AI-assisted workforce productivity, according to Reuters reporting from 16 March 2026.

Two sources indicate that Meta leadership has already signalled the restructuring plans to senior managers, requesting them to prepare strategies for reducing headcount.

Meta’s spokesperson Andy Stone commented on the reports, describing them as speculative. “This is speculative reporting about a theoretical approach,” Stone said.

If accurate, a 20% reduction would represent a significant downsizing since Meta’s previous restructuring in late 2022 and early 2023, when the company underwent a so-called “year of efficiency” with major job cuts.

In November 2022, Meta laid off 11,000 employees, representing 13% of its workforce. The company then conducted another round of cuts four months later, eliminating a further 10,000 workers.

Meta’s focus on artificial intelligence is unsurprising given that Zuckerberg has been driving the company to compete more aggressively in generative AI over the past year.

The company has been recruiting top artificial intelligence talent, with Zuckerberg offering compensation packages worth hundreds of millions of dollars over four years to join Meta’s superintelligence team.

Meta has allocated substantial capital for artificial intelligence development. This includes US$600 billion for building data centres by 2028 and US$2 billion for acquiring Chinese artificial intelligence startup Manus.