Quick Read
- Meta is laying off 600 employees from its Superintelligence Labs division.
- Chief AI officer Alexandr Wang cited efficiency and agility as reasons for the cuts.
- Affected employees can apply for other roles within Meta, with dedicated support.
- Severance includes 16 weeks base pay plus two weeks per year of service.
- Meta continues hiring for its superintelligence unit, keeping overall AI investment strong.
Meta’s Major AI Layoffs Signal Shift Toward Efficiency
On October 22, 2025, Meta announced a significant restructuring in its artificial intelligence division, letting go of 600 employees from its Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL). This move, confirmed by spokespersons and detailed in an internal memo from Meta’s chief AI officer Alexandr Wang, marks a pivotal moment in the company’s ongoing pursuit of building cutting-edge AI systems. The layoffs affect one of Meta’s most high-profile and resource-intensive units, established only months ago to accelerate CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for ‘personal superintelligence’—AI that could someday surpass human capabilities.
Why Meta Is Reshaping Its AI Division
The rationale behind the cuts is clear: Meta aims to become leaner and more agile in a rapidly evolving field. Wang’s memo, obtained by Business Insider and referenced by TechCrunch and UPI, emphasized that a smaller team would make decisions faster and give each remaining member greater responsibility and impact. “By reducing the size of our team, fewer conversations will be required to make a decision, and each person will be more load-bearing and have more scope and impact,” Wang wrote. The memo also acknowledged the difficulty of parting ways with talented colleagues who had contributed substantially to Meta’s ambitious AI efforts.
Meta’s AI landscape had grown increasingly complex and, by Wang’s account, mired in bureaucracy and overlapping mandates. The company split its AI work into four distinct groups: product, research (FAIR), infrastructure, and the elite superintelligence division. The rapid expansion of MSL, including aggressive hiring from rivals like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Apple, brought internal friction and confusion about mission priorities. Zuckerberg himself has championed ‘small, talent-dense teams’ as a way to cut through organizational clutter, a philosophy echoed in Wang’s messaging.
Impact on Employees and Meta’s Future Plans
For those affected, the news landed swiftly. Employees in North America were notified immediately, with those in EMEA informed and subject to local consultation processes. Some received notice that their official termination date would be November 21, entering a ‘non-working notice period’ during which internal access would be cut off but the option to seek new roles within Meta would remain open. Severance packages were outlined: 16 weeks of base pay plus two weeks for each year of service, minus the notice period.
Meta has assembled a dedicated team of recruiters to help impacted staff find new positions within the company, hoping to retain valuable talent in other roles. Wang’s memo stressed, “We are supporting the majority of those impacted in finding new roles at the company.” The company insists this is not a retreat from AI investment. In fact, Meta continues to actively hire for its superintelligence division, seeking “industry-leading AI-native talent” to maintain momentum in developing next-generation AI models.
The Broader Context: Meta’s AI Ambitions and Industry Competition
This wave of layoffs comes amid fierce competition in the AI sector. Over the past summer, Meta poached dozens of researchers from competitors, offering lucrative packages. The company also invested $14.3 billion for a 49% stake in Scale AI, bringing its CEO, Alexandr Wang, onboard. Notably, Scale itself laid off 14% of its staff following the merger—a sign of the relentless drive for efficiency sweeping the industry.
Meta’s restructuring mirrors a wider trend among major tech firms, all racing to build more powerful and efficient AI systems. The shift reflects not just internal pressures but also changing market demands and a recognition that large, unwieldy teams may struggle to innovate quickly. As Wang put it, “We created too many layers, excessive bureaucracy, and unhelpful confusion about the team’s missions. Shift in market demand also required us to re-examine our plans and refine our approach.”
What Happens Next for Meta and Its AI Workforce?
While the layoffs are substantial, Meta’s overall headcount in AI may not decrease dramatically, as many affected employees are expected to transition to other teams. The superintelligence unit—tasked with developing AI models that could one day outperform humans—remains untouched and is actively hiring. For those who stay, the future holds increased responsibility, faster decision-making, and, perhaps, a clearer sense of purpose.
Meta’s bet on streamlined, talent-dense teams is a bold one. The company is wagering that, in the race to superintelligence, agility and focus will trump sheer numbers. It’s a gamble playing out in real time, not just at Meta but across the tech sector as AI development accelerates and the stakes climb ever higher.
The Meta layoffs highlight a crucial tension at the heart of modern tech: the drive for rapid innovation versus the costs—human and organizational—of maintaining sprawling, complex teams. By narrowing its AI focus and reducing bureaucracy, Meta hopes to position itself at the forefront of the superintelligence race. Whether this strategy will yield the breakthrough advances the company seeks, or risk losing valuable talent and institutional knowledge, remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the era of ‘big AI teams’ at Meta is giving way to a new chapter, defined by leaner structures and higher expectations for every contributor.